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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — humankind
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. rash — a series
  6. saw — the tool
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. object — a thing
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. race — the arms race
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. rash — hasty
  14. mark — a grade
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. object — to protest
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a trace
  24. object — an aim

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