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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. ball — a great time
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. can — to be able to
  6. game — a match
  7. pop — soda
  8. ball — a dance
  9. can — a tin
  10. kick — in football
  11. rock — a stone
  12. game — wild animals
  13. object — a thing
  14. race — a contest
  15. can — a tin
  16. pop — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. race — humankind
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — an aim
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. race — the arms race
  24. rock — music

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