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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. row — to paddle
  4. stand — to bear
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. race — the arms race
  9. cold — not warm
  10. bear — the animal
  11. race — humankind
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. row — a line
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bear — the animal
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cold — an illness
  22. race — a contest
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. jam — a tight spot

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