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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. race — the arms race
  5. track — a path
  6. scale — in music
  7. march — the month
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. track — a song
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. march — music
  14. race — humankind
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pound — a weight
  19. scale — size or range
  20. track — to keep track
  21. race — a contest
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. march — the month

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