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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. rash — hasty
  3. last — finally
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. bank — of a river
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. last — final
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. game — a match
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bank — for money
  14. race — humankind
  15. last — to go on
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. race — the arms race
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. race — a contest
  21. game — wild animals
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bank — for money

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