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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. scale — in music
  3. race — the arms race
  4. can — a tin
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. scale — size or range
  8. race — humankind
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to tire
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. can — to be able to
  14. race — a contest
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bore — to drill
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. can — a tin
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. season — of the year

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