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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. file — a line of people
  3. cue — for pool
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bass — low music
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. file — a tool
  8. race — a contest
  9. file — a document
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. race — the arms race
  13. cue — a signal
  14. race — humankind
  15. face — to point toward
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. face — to confront
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bass — the fish

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