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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. pop — music
  4. sharp — clever
  5. race — a contest
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. land — ground
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. race — humankind
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. race — the arms race
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pop — to visit
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. land — a country
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pop — soda
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. land — to come down
  24. coach — a trainer

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