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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: pop · cabinet · row · racket · race · fan · track · object

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. pop — soda
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. race — the arms race
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. race — a contest
  9. track — to keep track
  10. race — humankind
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. object — a thing
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. row — a line
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. object — an aim
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pop — to visit
  20. track — a song
  21. track — a path
  22. row — to paddle
  23. object — to protest
  24. pop — music

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