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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 120 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. track — a song
  3. race — humankind
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pop — soda
  9. track — a path
  10. fine — all right
  11. track — to keep track
  12. pop — to visit
  13. game — a match
  14. present — the time now
  15. pop — music
  16. race — a contest
  17. present — there
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. present — a gift
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. game — wild animals

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