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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 120 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. kid — child
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. fine — high quality
  5. race — the arms race
  6. cap — a hat
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rock — a stone
  9. court — of law
  10. fine — all right
  11. cap — a lid
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. file — a tool
  14. kid — to tease
  15. file — a line of people
  16. race — a contest
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. court — of a king
  19. cap — of ice
  20. court — for sport
  21. file — a document
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. rock — music

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