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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 rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. race — the arms race
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. file — a line of people
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. race — humankind
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to confront
  11. land — a country
  12. content — happy
  13. land — to come down
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — for golf
  16. bass — the fish
  17. club — a group
  18. bass — low music
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. face — to point toward
  21. file — a document
  22. race — a contest
  23. land — ground
  24. content — the amount

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