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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: mouse · race · tube · hide · cap · pop · firm · racket

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. race — the arms race
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pop — music
  5. firm — a company
  6. race — a contest
  7. tube — a container
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — to visit
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. cap — a hat
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — steady
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. race — humankind
  21. tube — the underground
  22. cap — a lid
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. cap — of ice

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