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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: club · track · pop · mouse · race · saw · squash · can

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. race — the arms race
  3. club — for dancing
  4. track — a song
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — to crush
  7. can — a tin
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. race — humankind
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. club — for golf
  14. can — a tin
  15. pop — music
  16. track — a path
  17. race — a contest
  18. pop — soda
  19. saw — the tool
  20. can — to be able to
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. pop — to visit
  23. saw — the tool
  24. club — a group

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