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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 116 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. can — to be able to
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. track — a path
  10. chip — to eat
  11. track — a song
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — humankind
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. chip — for betting
  16. shower — rain
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. band — a ring
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. deal — to handle
  21. shower — to wash
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. band — a music group
  24. track — to keep track

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