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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. band — a music group
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. fine — all right
  8. band — a ring
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. race — humankind
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. rush — hurry
  18. fine — high quality
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. race — a contest
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. fan — to cool the air

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