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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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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: snap · race · object · can · pit · rock · ball · cap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. can — to be able to
  3. race — a contest
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a lid
  7. object — an aim
  8. can — a tin
  9. race — humankind
  10. pit — a hole
  11. race — the arms race
  12. ball — a great time
  13. object — to protest
  14. can — a tin
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. ball — a dance
  17. object — a thing
  18. snap — to click
  19. pit — in a race
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — a stone
  24. cap — a hat

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