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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. club — for golf
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — the arms race
  8. cap — of ice
  9. rash — a series
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. cap — a lid
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. club — for dancing
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. rash — hasty
  18. club — a group
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — shares
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. race — a contest
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. capital — money

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