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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. bound — obliged
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — crushed
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bulb — for light
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bound — certain
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bulb — for light
  17. race — the arms race
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. degree — an amount
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bound — tied together
  22. degree — temperature
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. race — a contest

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