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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. wind — moving air
  3. swing — music
  4. land — ground
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. race — a contest
  7. wind — moving air
  8. race — humankind
  9. land — a country
  10. land — to come down
  11. suit — in cards
  12. ball — a dance
  13. swing — to play on
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. ball — a great time
  16. race — the arms race
  17. cap — a lid
  18. suit — to fit
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. cap — of ice
  22. swing — in golf
  23. cap — a hat
  24. racket — a loud noise

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