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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. can — a tin
  3. bass — low music
  4. ball — a great time
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. spell — letters
  7. present — the time now
  8. race — a contest
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. row — to paddle
  11. present — there
  12. can — a tin
  13. spell — a short time
  14. can — to be able to
  15. ball — a dance
  16. present — a gift
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. race — the arms race
  21. bass — the fish
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. row — a line
  24. race — humankind

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