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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. face — to confront
  3. bat — the animal
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. bank — of a river
  6. race — humankind
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. race — a contest
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bank — for money
  14. suit — in cards
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. suit — clothes
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. race — the arms race
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. bank — for money
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bat — in an idiom

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