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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. court — of law
  4. swing — in golf
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. rule — government
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — a phone
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. plane — a tool
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. swing — to play on
  14. court — of a king
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. race — the arms race
  17. rule — a law
  18. pop — soda
  19. race — humankind
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. court — for sport
  22. swing — music
  23. race — a contest
  24. safe — out of danger

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