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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. can — a tin
  3. content — the amount
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — humankind
  8. cap — a lid
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. can — to be able to
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. plane — a tool
  17. content — happy
  18. can — a tin
  19. race — the arms race
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bat — in an idiom

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