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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. scale — in music
  5. squash — to crush
  6. file — a line of people
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. race — humankind
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. scale — size or range
  15. race — the arms race
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. pop — soda
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pop — music
  21. file — a tool
  22. pop — to visit
  23. squash — the sport
  24. file — a document

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