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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. race — the arms race
  3. tube — the underground
  4. degree — an amount
  5. mate — to breed
  6. race — a contest
  7. ball — a great time
  8. can — a tin
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. rush — hurry
  11. degree — temperature
  12. can — a tin
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. can — to be able to
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. ball — a dance
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — a container
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. degree — from a university
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. mate — a partner
  23. race — humankind
  24. mate — a friend

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