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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. spring — of water
  4. band — a music group
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. race — the arms race
  8. track — a song
  9. bass — the fish
  10. track — a path
  11. rock — music
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. spring — the season
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. band — a ring
  16. rock — a stone
  17. cap — of ice
  18. track — to keep track
  19. spring — a coil
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. race — humankind
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bass — low music

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