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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. race — a contest
  3. branch — a division
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ground — a position
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. firm — decided
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. firm — a company
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — humankind
  17. ground — crushed
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. firm — steady
  22. ground — the earth
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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