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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bore — to tire
  3. race — humankind
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — a contest
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. rash — hasty
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pitch — completely
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. rash — a series
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bore — to drill
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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