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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. tube — a container
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. firm — steady
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. firm — a company
  12. race — the arms race
  13. firm — decided
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. prune — to trim
  18. race — a contest
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — a box
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. chest — of your body
  24. tube — in a tire

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