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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 120 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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. race — humankind
  3. stock — goods
  4. cap — of ice
  5. court — of a king
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. cap — a lid
  8. race — the arms race
  9. pound — a weight
  10. stock — shares
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kid — child
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. court — of law
  16. mug — to rob
  17. cap — a hat
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. court — for sport
  20. race — a contest
  21. mug — a face
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. kid — to tease
  24. mug — a cup

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