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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
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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 · ball · calf · coach · rush · spell · race · track

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. rush — hurry
  3. spell — a short time
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. spell — magic
  8. race — a contest
  9. spell — letters
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. track — a song
  12. pop — music
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. ball — a dance
  18. track — a path
  19. race — the arms race
  20. track — to keep track
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. ball — a great time
  24. race — humankind

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