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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: race · ball · pop · fan · kid · bowl · mug · rush

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. mug — a face
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. ball — a dance
  5. pop — music
  6. rush — hurry
  7. kid — to tease
  8. race — the arms race
  9. mug — a cup
  10. race — a contest
  11. pop — to visit
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pop — soda
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ball — a great time
  17. race — humankind
  18. kid — child
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bowl — a dish

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