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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. kid — to tease
  10. kid — child
  11. pop — to visit
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. race — a contest
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. pop — music
  19. race — humankind
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cap — a lid
  22. pop — soda
  23. bass — low music
  24. cap — a hat

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