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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — humankind
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. content — the amount
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. content — happy
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. race — the arms race
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. rule — a law
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — decided
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. rule — government
  24. cap — a hat

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