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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: cap · spell · fork · bowl · object · race

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. race — a contest
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. spell — a short time
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — a thing
  7. cap — a lid
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. spell — magic
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. object — an aim
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. race — humankind
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. cap — a hat
  18. spell — letters

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