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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. race — the arms race
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. cap — a hat
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. last — finally
  9. suit — to fit
  10. race — humankind
  11. last — to go on
  12. track — a song
  13. cap — of ice
  14. net — for catching
  15. wax — to grow
  16. suit — clothes
  17. cap — a lid
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. race — a contest
  20. net — after costs
  21. last — final
  22. suit — in cards
  23. net — in sport
  24. track — a path

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