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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. net — in sport
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. net — after costs
  9. club — for golf
  10. net — for catching
  11. rush — hurry
  12. race — a contest
  13. race — the arms race
  14. cap — a lid
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cap — of ice
  18. race — humankind
  19. club — for dancing
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. cap — a hat
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mate — to breed

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