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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 120 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: land · cap · bay · race · bass · ball · field · tube

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a lid
  4. land — to come down
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. tube — the underground
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bass — the fish
  11. land — ground
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. field — for sport
  15. bass — low music
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. ball — a great time
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — a subject
  22. tube — a container
  23. land — a country
  24. race — a contest

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