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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — a contest
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. rest — a break
  7. root — of a plant
  8. tube — a container
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. root — of a word
  12. tube — the underground
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. race — humankind
  15. stand — to bear
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. rest — what's left
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rest — what's left
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. root — the cause

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