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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. race — humankind
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. spring — a coil
  5. suit — clothes
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. capital — a city
  11. race — the arms race
  12. suit — in cards
  13. capital — money
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — for catching
  16. dip — to sink
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. net — in sport
  19. race — a contest
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — the season
  24. plane — an aircraft

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