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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. file — a line of people
  3. ground — the earth
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. file — a tool
  9. ground — crushed
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. race — humankind
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. cell — a phone
  16. ground — a position
  17. file — a document
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. toast — bread
  21. race — a contest
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cell — in biology

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