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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  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. row — a line
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — a contest
  4. band — a ring
  5. wake — a trail
  6. band — a music group
  7. charge — a price
  8. pop — soda
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bulb — for light
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. race — the arms race
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. row — to paddle
  19. pop — to visit
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. charge — in control
  23. jam — in traffic
  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