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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. race — the arms race
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bound — certain
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bound — tied together
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. race — humankind
  9. bound — obliged
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. saw — the tool
  12. race — a contest
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. kick — in football
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. pitch — completely
  20. saw — the tool
  21. sharp — clever
  22. vault — a safe
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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