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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. last — finally
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. last — final
  6. race — the arms race
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. last — to go on
  9. race — humankind
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. charge — in control
  13. ball — a dance
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. charge — electricity
  17. race — a contest
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pop — music
  20. ball — a great time
  21. deal — to handle
  22. charge — a price
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. temple — a place of worship

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