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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pit — in a race
  3. club — for golf
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bear — the animal
  9. club — a group
  10. ball — a great time
  11. race — a contest
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. club — for dancing
  20. ball — a dance
  21. race — humankind
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. race — the arms race
  24. wind — moving air

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