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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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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: chip · race · rock · rush · bay · cue · tear · pop

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. pop — music
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. chip — to eat
  6. race — the arms race
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pop — soda
  10. race — a contest
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. tear — to rip
  15. cue — a signal
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. tear — from crying
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. race — humankind
  24. cue — for pool

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