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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. net — after costs
  3. track — a song
  4. can — a tin
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — a contest
  7. track — to keep track
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. net — in sport
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — of ice
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cap — a lid
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — letters
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. net — for catching
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. track — a path

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