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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bass — the fish
  3. track — to keep track
  4. rash — a series
  5. race — a contest
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — hasty
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. object — a thing
  10. cap — of ice
  11. track — a song
  12. race — the arms race
  13. track — a path
  14. race — humankind
  15. object — an aim
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. object — to protest
  18. bass — low music
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. sharp — clever
  23. cap — a lid
  24. sharp — exactly

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