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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: rock · pitcher · kid · pop · race · lash · suit · chest

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. suit — in cards
  4. race — humankind
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. suit — to fit
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. race — a contest
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. rock — music
  14. pop — soda
  15. kid — child
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. suit — clothes
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. race — the arms race
  21. chest — a box
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. kid — to tease

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