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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bound — tied together
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pit — a hole
  10. saw — the tool
  11. game — wild animals
  12. race — humankind
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. game — a match
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — certain
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. pit — in a race
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. fan — to cool the air

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