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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. race — a contest
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — in sport
  5. present — the time now
  6. firm — decided
  7. bass — the fish
  8. cap — of ice
  9. race — the arms race
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. net — after costs
  12. present — there
  13. firm — steady
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. firm — a company
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bass — low music
  21. present — a gift
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. race — humankind

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