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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: cap · ruler · race · game · dip · trunk · can · mug

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. race — a contest
  3. game — a match
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. dip — to sink
  6. race — humankind
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — a lid
  9. race — the arms race
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. mug — a cup
  12. game — wild animals
  13. can — a tin
  14. cap — of ice
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. can — to be able to
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. can — a tin
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mug — a face
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. mug — to rob

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