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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — for sport
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. current — happening now
  6. court — of law
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. current — electric
  10. wind — moving air
  11. race — a contest
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. race — humankind
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. branch — a division
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. pass — a permit
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. race — the arms race
  24. current — of water

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