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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. mug — a face
  3. race — the arms race
  4. mug — to rob
  5. scale — in music
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. race — a contest
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. pop — to visit
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mug — a cup
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. mine — for digging
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. race — humankind
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. pop — soda
  24. toast — bread

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