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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. firm — steady
  3. snap — to click
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. race — the arms race
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. pop — soda
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. pop — to visit
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — high quality
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. firm — a company
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. season — in sport
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. pop — music
  22. season — of the year
  23. race — humankind
  24. firm — decided

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