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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. pop — to visit
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. track — a path
  8. rock — music
  9. race — humankind
  10. band — a music group
  11. race — a contest
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. track — a song
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. mark — a grade
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bat — the animal
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a trace
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. track — to keep track

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