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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  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. jam — in traffic
  2. present — a gift
  3. staff — employees
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. staff — a stick
  8. present — there
  9. current — of water
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. race — the arms race
  12. cold — an illness
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. present — the time now
  16. vault — a safe
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. race — a contest
  19. current — electric
  20. current — happening now
  21. staff — employees
  22. cold — not warm
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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