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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. pop — music
  3. ball — a dance
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. cell — in biology
  6. object — to protest
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pop — soda
  9. object — a thing
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. pop — to visit
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cell — a phone
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. race — humankind
  21. object — an aim
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. race — a contest

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