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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: stand · arm · pop · dip · present · race · ball · spell

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. dip — to sink
  3. present — the time now
  4. race — humankind
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — soda
  7. race — the arms race
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. present — a gift
  10. race — a contest
  11. spell — a short time
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stand — to bear
  14. present — there
  15. spell — letters
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. spell — magic
  18. pop — to visit
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a great time
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. stand — for spectators

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