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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pop · cap · race · tube · file · season · craft · cabinet

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — boats
  4. tube — a container
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. season — in sport
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cap — a lid
  9. pop — music
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. file — a tool
  12. pop — soda
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. file — a line of people
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. file — a document
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a hat
  19. craft — a skill
  20. race — a contest
  21. season — of the year
  22. tube — the underground
  23. race — the arms race
  24. pop — to visit

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