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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 · race · rush · game · cell · object · suit · face

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. game — a match
  3. race — humankind
  4. cell — in biology
  5. pop — soda
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — in cards
  9. object — a thing
  10. pop — music
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. object — to protest
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rush — hurry
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to confront
  18. race — the arms race
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. pop — to visit
  21. suit — clothes
  22. cell — a phone
  23. object — an aim
  24. game — wild animals

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