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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. row — a line
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. key — in music
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. can — to be able to
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. race — a contest
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. key — the most important part
  14. race — the arms race
  15. can — a tin
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. key — for a lock
  18. can — a tin
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. row — to paddle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. race — humankind

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