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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: rash · rock · wound · net · race · racket · cap · deal

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. net — for catching
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cap — a lid
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. race — the arms race
  8. net — in sport
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. race — a contest
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. rash — a series
  14. rock — music
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — of ice
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. race — humankind
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. net — after costs

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