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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 116 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. pop — soda
  3. charge — in control
  4. firm — steady
  5. kick — in football
  6. charge — a price
  7. rock — a stone
  8. spring — of water
  9. firm — decided
  10. race — the arms race
  11. pop — to visit
  12. ball — a great time
  13. rock — music
  14. pop — music
  15. spring — a coil
  16. charge — electricity
  17. ball — a dance
  18. spring — the season
  19. race — humankind
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. race — a contest
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. rock — to move gently

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