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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 116 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 · dip · can · cell · rock · board · race

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. can — to be able to
  3. race — a contest
  4. board — a committee
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — a phone
  8. race — humankind
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — to get on
  12. race — the arms race
  13. game — a match
  14. cap — a hat
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rock — music
  18. can — a tin
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. cap — of ice
  22. can — a tin
  23. rock — a stone
  24. dip — to sink

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