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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bulb — for light
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — a contest
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cap — a lid
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. race — humankind
  14. game — a match
  15. cap — a hat
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. plane — a tool
  24. game — wild animals

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