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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 116 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — soda
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. track — a path
  7. land — to come down
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. race — the arms race
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. track — to keep track
  13. race — humankind
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. race — a contest
  16. bulb — for light
  17. track — a song
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bat — the animal
  20. land — a country
  21. land — ground
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pass — a permit

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