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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. race — a contest
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. race — the arms race
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. shower — to wash
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. deal — to handle
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. track — a song
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. race — humankind
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. shower — rain
  17. track — a path
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — goods
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. track — to keep track

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