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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — a stone
  3. suit — clothes
  4. race — humankind
  5. game — a match
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. race — the arms race
  8. row — a line
  9. race — a contest
  10. pop — music
  11. rock — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. chair — a leader
  14. court — of a king
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. suit — in cards
  17. court — of law
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. suit — to fit
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. game — wild animals
  22. row — to paddle
  23. court — for sport
  24. pop — to visit

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