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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. chair — a leader
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. race — humankind
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. row — to paddle
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. pit — in a race
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. pit — a hole
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. row — a line

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