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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. cap — a hat
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cue — a signal
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — of ice
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. race — humankind
  13. cue — a hint
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — a law
  16. perch — the fish
  17. cue — for pool
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. race — the arms race
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pound — a weight
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. pound — for dogs

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