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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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Word bank
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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bear — the animal
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. race — humankind
  10. cap — a hat
  11. content — the amount
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. scale — in music
  15. content — happy
  16. scale — size or range
  17. cap — a lid
  18. race — the arms race
  19. cap — of ice
  20. club — for dancing
  21. race — a contest
  22. bear — the animal
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — a group

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