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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 120 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rock — music
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. wake — a trail
  7. ball — a great time
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rock — a stone
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bulb — for light
  14. race — the arms race
  15. ball — a dance
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — a thing
  18. race — humankind
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. stand — to bear
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. object — to protest

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