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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. chest — of your body
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. cue — a signal
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — there
  10. capital — money
  11. cue — a hint
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cue — for pool
  14. chest — a box
  15. capital — a city
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. race — the arms race
  20. craft — boats
  21. chest — of your body
  22. race — a contest
  23. present — the time now
  24. race — humankind

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