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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. race — the arms race
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — to breed
  5. cue — a hint
  6. land — ground
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. land — a country
  10. pop — music
  11. track — to keep track
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. mate — a partner
  16. race — a contest
  17. land — to come down
  18. track — a song
  19. race — humankind
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. pop — soda
  22. date — the fruit
  23. pop — to visit
  24. track — a path

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