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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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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: ground · race · bowl · can · wind · saw · pop · mark

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. can — a tin
  4. ground — crushed
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. pop — soda
  8. ground — a position
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mark — a grade
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. ground — the earth
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. saw — the tool
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — humankind
  24. pop — to visit

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