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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 · mark · spring · deal · firm · bass · hide · cap

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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. spring — a coil
  4. bass — low music
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. race — humankind
  7. cap — of ice
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mark — a trace
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — of water
  12. bass — the fish
  13. mark — a grade
  14. cap — a hat
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — decided
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. race — a contest
  23. firm — steady
  24. deal — to handle

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