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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pop — to visit
  5. track — to keep track
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pop — soda
  8. track — a song
  9. roll — a list
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. race — a contest
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. roll — a cake
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. pop — music
  19. race — humankind
  20. track — a path
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. fan — a supporter

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