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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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Word bank
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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rule — government
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — to bear
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. race — a contest
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. craft — boats
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. kick — in football
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. race — humankind
  20. bulb — for light
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. rule — a law
  23. race — the arms race
  24. craft — a skill

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