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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 116 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. race — a contest
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. current — of water
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bass — low music
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bass — the fish
  16. current — happening now
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. race — humankind
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. current — electric
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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