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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. race — a contest
  3. clip — to cut
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. race — humankind
  6. bank — for money
  7. pop — to visit
  8. land — to come down
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. land — ground
  11. bank — of a river
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. race — the arms race
  16. clip — a video
  17. bank — for money
  18. land — a country
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. pop — soda
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. clip — for paper

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