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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. court — of a king
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. tube — a container
  7. lean — to bend
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. court — for sport
  10. stand — to bear
  11. race — a contest
  12. tube — the underground
  13. pit — in a race
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. pit — a hole
  17. squash — the sport
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. court — of law
  21. race — the arms race
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. squash — to crush

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