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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. saw — the tool
  4. race — a contest
  5. rock — a stone
  6. club — for dancing
  7. current — of water
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. race — the arms race
  11. club — for golf
  12. current — electric
  13. land — a country
  14. land — ground
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. current — happening now
  18. saw — the tool
  19. race — humankind
  20. rock — music
  21. club — a group
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. land — to come down

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