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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 116 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cap — of ice
  3. stock — goods
  4. bass — low music
  5. race — the arms race
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. scale — size or range
  8. fine — high quality
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fine — all right
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. race — a contest
  13. scale — in music
  14. bass — the fish
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. cap — a lid
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. race — humankind
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. stock — shares
  23. cap — a hat
  24. hide — animal skin

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