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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  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. pop — to visit
  2. spring — of water
  3. race — the arms race
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. key — the most important part
  6. spring — a coil
  7. key — for a lock
  8. pop — music
  9. saw — the tool
  10. firm — steady
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pop — soda
  13. firm — a company
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bear — the animal
  16. firm — decided
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. race — a contest
  19. key — in music
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. saw — the tool
  22. spring — the season
  23. bowl — a dish
  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