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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: fork · cell · firm · ball · cap · roll · wake · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. firm — decided
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. firm — a company
  7. fork — in a road
  8. cap — a hat
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. ball — a great time
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cell — in biology
  14. roll — a cake
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. firm — steady
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — the arms race
  19. cell — a phone
  20. roll — a list
  21. ball — a dance
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. wake — a trail

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