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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: race · ball · patient · prune · bank · squash · cap · object

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. race — humankind
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bank — for money
  5. object — an aim
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. race — the arms race
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. squash — the sport
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bank — of a river
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. object — a thing
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bank — for money
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. ball — a dance
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cap — a lid
  21. squash — to crush
  22. object — to protest
  23. race — a contest
  24. ball — a great time

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