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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. pop — music
  3. race — humankind
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. shower — to wash
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. pop — to visit
  8. race — the arms race
  9. shower — rain
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. pop — soda
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bear — the animal
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. chest — a box

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