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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  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. firm — a company
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. land — ground
  5. race — the arms race
  6. land — a country
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. firm — steady
  9. bore — to tire
  10. land — to come down
  11. ball — a dance
  12. firm — decided
  13. bore — to drill
  14. ball — a great time
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. race — a contest
  23. arm — part of the body
  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