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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. cap — of ice
  4. kick — in football
  5. club — a group
  6. land — to come down
  7. ground — the earth
  8. land — a country
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. race — humankind
  14. race — the arms race
  15. cap — a hat
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. ground — crushed
  18. race — a contest
  19. ground — a position
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. land — ground
  24. club — for golf

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