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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. cap — a hat
  3. date — the fruit
  4. swing — in golf
  5. race — humankind
  6. cap — a lid
  7. race — a contest
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. race — the arms race
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. face — to confront
  12. pound — a weight
  13. swing — music
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. face — to point toward
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. face — part of the head
  20. cap — of ice
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. safe — a strongbox

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