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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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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 · bowl · scale · mark · bound · nail · net

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. mark — a grade
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. race — a contest
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. scale — size or range
  11. cap — a lid
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. cap — a hat
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — for catching
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bound — certain
  18. net — after costs
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. scale — in music
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — the arms race
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bound — obliged

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