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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. cap — a hat
  4. pass — a permit
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. ball — a dance
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. race — a contest
  13. race — humankind
  14. race — the arms race
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. band — a ring
  19. ball — a great time
  20. cap — of ice
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. band — a music group
  24. racket — for tennis

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