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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 116 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. last — finally
  4. club — for golf
  5. pop — to visit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — a contest
  9. suit — clothes
  10. last — final
  11. suit — to fit
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. pop — music
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. club — for dancing
  18. rush — hurry
  19. last — to go on
  20. race — the arms race
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. club — a group

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