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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. season — in sport
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. cap — a lid
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. rule — government
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — the arms race
  10. mug — a face
  11. cap — a hat
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. season — of the year
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. race — a contest
  17. cap — of ice
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. rule — a law
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a cup
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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