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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pop — soda
  3. band — a ring
  4. bound — obliged
  5. pop — to visit
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. pitch — completely
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bound — tied together
  11. race — humankind
  12. rush — hurry
  13. pop — music
  14. rule — a law
  15. race — a contest
  16. bound — certain
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rule — government
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. band — a music group
  22. race — the arms race
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. band — a rubber band

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