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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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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: racket · net · bear · cap · race · mug

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — humankind
  4. bear — the animal
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a hat
  8. race — a contest
  9. mug — a face
  10. net — for catching
  11. cap — a lid
  12. net — in sport
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. net — after costs
  15. mug — a cup
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mug — to rob

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