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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 · bay · cap · stick · pitcher · saw · temple · bass

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. race — a contest
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. saw — the tool
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bass — the fish
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cap — a lid
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bass — low music
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. race — humankind

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