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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. race — a contest
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. mug — a cup
  9. race — humankind
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. branch — a division
  15. mark — a grade
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. snap — to click
  18. mug — to rob
  19. race — the arms race
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. mark — a trace
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a round shape

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