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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. net — after costs
  3. rule — government
  4. race — a contest
  5. cue — a signal
  6. rock — a stone
  7. race — the arms race
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — for golf
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. net — in sport
  13. rock — music
  14. cue — a hint
  15. club — a group
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — of ice
  18. rule — a law
  19. race — humankind
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. net — for catching
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cue — for pool

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