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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: race · game · can · foot · pit · date · bear · pop

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. game — wild animals
  3. pop — music
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bear — the animal
  11. race — humankind
  12. pop — to visit
  13. can — a tin
  14. game — a match
  15. date — the fruit
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. pit — a hole
  18. can — a tin
  19. bear — the animal
  20. foot — a measure
  21. pop — soda
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — the arms race
  24. game — a kind of play

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