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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 116 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: mate · land · racket · cap · race · suit · ground · dip

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. ground — the earth
  4. land — ground
  5. dip — to sink
  6. cap — of ice
  7. mate — a partner
  8. land — to come down
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. race — humankind
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. ground — a position
  13. suit — in cards
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. race — the arms race
  16. cap — a lid
  17. land — a country
  18. cap — a hat
  19. race — a contest
  20. suit — to fit
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. suit — clothes
  23. mate — to breed
  24. ground — crushed

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