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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 124 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. pop — to visit
  3. club — for dancing
  4. race — a contest
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. track — a song
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — to rob
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to bend
  12. track — a path
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. race — the arms race
  15. club — for golf
  16. mark — a trace
  17. track — to keep track
  18. race — humankind
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. club — a group
  21. pop — soda
  22. mark — a grade
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. pop — music

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