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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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468
Word bank
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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bass — the fish
  3. cap — a lid
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bass — low music
  6. race — a contest
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. stand — to bear
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. race — humankind
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. race — the arms race
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. capital — money
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cap — a hat
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. cap — of ice
  20. capital — a city
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a leader
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bass — the instrument

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