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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. sharp — clever
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. content — happy
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. capital — a city
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. tube — a container
  15. content — the amount
  16. tube — the underground
  17. race — a contest
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — a lid
  20. race — the arms race
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. capital — money
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. content — videos and posts

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