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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pit — a hole
  4. game — wild animals
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. race — humankind
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. rush — hurry
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fork — in a road
  13. pit — in a race
  14. race — a contest
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. race — the arms race

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