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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 120 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: game · cap · branch · fine · race · can · ball · spring

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — wild animals
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. spring — of water
  6. branch — a division
  7. race — humankind
  8. spring — a coil
  9. can — to be able to
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. cap — a lid
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — all right
  14. cap — of ice
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — a contest
  17. spring — the season
  18. can — a tin
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. can — a tin
  22. cap — a hat
  23. ball — a great time
  24. game — a kind of play

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