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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. race — the arms race
  3. can — a tin
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — of ice
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. can — to be able to
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bank — for money
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cold — an illness
  13. bank — of a river
  14. cold — not warm
  15. game — wild animals
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — humankind
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. can — a tin
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. bank — for money
  23. game — a match
  24. cap — a hat

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