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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. race — the arms race
  4. club — for dancing
  5. race — a contest
  6. pop — music
  7. club — a group
  8. pop — to visit
  9. present — the time now
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — of water
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. club — for golf
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. pop — soda
  17. present — there
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. race — humankind
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — a city
  24. present — a gift

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