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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. season — of the year
  3. cap — a lid
  4. race — a contest
  5. club — for dancing
  6. track — a path
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. cap — of ice
  9. capital — a city
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — the arms race
  13. club — a group
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. cap — a hat
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. club — for golf
  21. capital — money
  22. track — to keep track
  23. season — in sport
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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