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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 · cap · rush · season · kid · mouse · stock · safe

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. kid — to tease
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. race — a contest
  6. cap — a hat
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. rush — hurry
  10. stock — goods
  11. season — of the year
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. stock — shares
  17. race — humankind
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. race — the arms race
  20. cap — a lid
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. cap — of ice
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. kid — child

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