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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. spell — a short time
  3. race — a contest
  4. net — for catching
  5. spell — magic
  6. net — after costs
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bore — to drill
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. race — the arms race
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. net — in sport
  15. race — humankind
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bore — to tire
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. spell — letters

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