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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. pop — soda
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — a container
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. pop — music
  9. vault — a safe
  10. pop — to visit
  11. race — humankind
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. track — a song
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. race — the arms race
  16. track — to keep track
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. tube — the underground
  21. track — a path
  22. chip — to eat
  23. race — a contest
  24. chip — for betting

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