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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 124 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · net · racket · race · cap · present

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a lid
  5. present — there
  6. present — a gift
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cap — a hat
  9. race — the arms race
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — after costs
  12. race — a contest
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. present — the time now
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. net — in sport

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