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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. firm — decided
  3. roll — a list
  4. firm — a company
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. mine — for digging
  7. race — the arms race
  8. roll — a cake
  9. race — a contest
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. firm — steady
  18. race — humankind
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. rock — a stone
  23. game — a match
  24. mine — an explosive

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