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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. race — the arms race
  3. content — the amount
  4. race — humankind
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. object — an aim
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. net — after costs
  11. object — to protest
  12. net — for catching
  13. game — a match
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. game — wild animals
  20. net — in sport
  21. object — a thing
  22. race — a contest
  23. content — happy
  24. content — videos and posts

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