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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: cap · wave · kick · firm · ground · clip · net · race

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. race — the arms race
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. ground — crushed
  5. net — after costs
  6. race — humankind
  7. net — for catching
  8. cap — of ice
  9. ground — the earth
  10. net — in sport
  11. race — a contest
  12. ground — a position
  13. firm — decided
  14. kick — in football
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — to cut
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. cap — a hat
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. firm — a company
  21. clip — for paper
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. firm — steady
  24. kick — with a leg

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