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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 116 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: squash · mark · bear · cabinet · net · race · present · shower

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. net — in sport
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. present — the time now
  5. race — a contest
  6. shower — rain
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mark — a grade
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. race — humankind
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a trace
  16. race — the arms race
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. net — for catching
  19. shower — to wash
  20. present — a gift
  21. squash — to crush
  22. net — after costs
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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