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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. race — the arms race
  3. can — to be able to
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bulb — for light
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. court — of law
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. court — for sport
  12. cell — in biology
  13. court — of a king
  14. cell — a phone
  15. can — a tin
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bulb — for light
  18. race — humankind
  19. tear — to rip
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. race — a contest
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. tear — from crying

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