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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. swing — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. mate — to breed
  5. band — a music group
  6. mate — a friend
  7. can — a tin
  8. band — a ring
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. race — the arms race
  13. swing — to play on
  14. race — a contest
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. pop — soda
  17. race — humankind
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bank — for money
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. mate — a partner
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. can — a tin

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