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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — soda
  4. race — the arms race
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. band — a ring
  8. kid — child
  9. band — a music group
  10. race — a contest
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. stand — to bear
  16. sharp — clever
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. content — happy
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. content — the amount
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. pop — music
  24. kid — to tease

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