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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. ground — the earth
  6. object — a thing
  7. race — humankind
  8. mark — a grade
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — the arms race
  11. object — to protest
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. club — for golf
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — crushed
  17. pop — music
  18. club — a group
  19. pop — soda
  20. club — for dancing
  21. pop — to visit
  22. object — an aim
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a dance

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com