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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. tube — a container
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. race — the arms race
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. kid — to tease
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. race — humankind
  13. dip — to sink
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. race — a contest
  17. tube — the underground
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. kid — child
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — a division
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. dip — to dunk

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