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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: mouse · pit · sharp · tear · band · cap · race · cabinet

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — humankind
  6. pit — a hole
  7. tear — to rip
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. band — a ring
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cap — of ice
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. sharp — clever
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pit — in a race
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cap — a lid
  24. band — a music group

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