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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rock — music
  4. suit — in cards
  5. row — a line
  6. can — a tin
  7. mark — a trace
  8. race — humankind
  9. mark — a grade
  10. court — for sport
  11. swing — to play on
  12. row — to paddle
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. can — a tin
  16. suit — clothes
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. can — to be able to
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — in golf
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — of law
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — the arms race

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