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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. race — a contest
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. ground — crushed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. race — the arms race
  12. ground — the earth
  13. cap — of ice
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. wound — an injury
  17. content — happy
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. content — the amount
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. cap — a hat
  23. race — humankind
  24. ground — a position

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