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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: cap · race · can · mug · hide · nail · pound · perch

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. can — a tin
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cap — a lid
  9. mug — a face
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — humankind
  13. mug — a cup
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. cap — of ice
  16. perch — the fish
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. can — a tin
  19. mug — to rob
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. can — to be able to
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. race — the arms race

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