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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cap — of ice
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. cap — a lid
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. race — humankind
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. race — the arms race
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cap — a hat
  18. dip — to sink

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