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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. club — for golf
  4. prune — to trim
  5. current — electric
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. cap — a lid
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. club — for dancing
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. cap — of ice
  13. race — the arms race
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bank — for money
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — of water
  18. race — humankind
  19. bank — of a river
  20. club — a group
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bank — for money
  23. race — a contest
  24. ruler — for measuring

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