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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. race — humankind
  4. mine — for digging
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. race — the arms race
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. club — a group
  12. bark — to shout
  13. race — a contest
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stem — to come from
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. club — for golf
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. club — for dancing
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. mine — an explosive

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