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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. mate — a friend
  3. squash — to crush
  4. cap — a hat
  5. pound — a weight
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. cap — of ice
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. mate — to breed
  10. row — a line
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. shower — rain
  15. squash — the sport
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. row — to paddle
  18. shower — to wash
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. race — humankind
  21. mate — a partner
  22. cap — a lid
  23. race — a contest
  24. jam — in traffic

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