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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. race — a contest
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. race — humankind
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. court — of law
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. court — of a king
  11. cell — a phone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bat — the animal
  15. race — the arms race
  16. cell — in biology
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. court — for sport
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. pound — to hit hard

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