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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. pop — music
  3. row — a line
  4. pop — to visit
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bass — the fish
  7. ball — a great time
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. press — to push
  10. press — newspapers
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bass — low music
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. press — a publisher
  16. deal — to handle
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. race — the arms race
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. race — a contest
  22. pop — soda
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. race — humankind

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