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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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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: race · lie · root · cap · fine · pitch · fall · cue

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. lie — to recline
  3. fall — to drop
  4. cap — a hat
  5. race — humankind
  6. fine — all right
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cue — a signal
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. race — a contest
  13. root — the cause
  14. fine — high quality
  15. root — of a plant
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cue — a hint
  18. race — the arms race
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. pitch — completely
  21. cue — for pool
  22. fall — the season
  23. root — of a word
  24. pitch — a sports field

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