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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. race — humankind
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. cap — a hat
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. stem — to come from
  8. race — a contest
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — music
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wake — a trail
  16. cap — of ice
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. race — the arms race
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a great time
  23. swing — to play on
  24. ball — a dance

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