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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · race · cell · mark · prune · pop · rock · chair

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pop — to visit
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — music
  6. cell — in biology
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. race — a contest
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mark — a grade
  12. rock — a stone
  13. race — the arms race
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. pop — soda
  16. chair — a leader
  17. prune — to trim
  18. race — humankind
  19. prune — to trim
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. cell — a phone
  22. pop — music
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a trace

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