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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. race — a contest
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. court — for sport
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. tube — a container
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. race — humankind
  17. stand — to bear
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. court — of law
  22. court — of a king
  23. race — the arms race
  24. tube — the underground

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