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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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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: date · foot · game · cap · charge · cabinet · race · craft

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. charge — in control
  4. cap — a hat
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. date — the fruit
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. cap — a lid
  10. game — wild animals
  11. race — the arms race
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. charge — electricity
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. craft — boats
  16. race — a contest
  17. craft — a skill
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. race — humankind
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. charge — a price
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. foot — a measure
  24. game — a match

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