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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cap — of ice
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stem — to come from
  7. race — the arms race
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. can — a tin
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wake — a trail
  13. can — to be able to
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. can — a tin
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. cap — a hat
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. game — a match
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — humankind

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