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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. pop — soda
  4. field — a subject
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cap — of ice
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. cap — a lid
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. field — farmland
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. field — for sport
  19. cap — a hat
  20. pop — music
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — the arms race
  23. pop — to visit
  24. race — a contest

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