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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. squash — the sport
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. tear — to rip
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. toast — bread
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. capital — money
  13. tear — from crying
  14. squash — to crush
  15. pit — a hole
  16. race — a contest
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pit — in a race
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. race — the arms race
  21. capital — a city
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. squash — the vegetable

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