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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — music
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. race — the arms race
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. race — a contest
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. shower — to wash
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. roll — a cake
  17. rash — hasty
  18. shower — rain
  19. rock — a stone
  20. pop — to visit
  21. rash — a series
  22. race — humankind
  23. foot — a measure
  24. roll — a list

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