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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. rule — a law
  3. last — final
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. last — to go on
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. race — a contest
  9. court — for sport
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — of law
  13. rule — government
  14. last — finally
  15. race — the arms race
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. race — humankind
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a lid
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. cap — a hat
  24. arm — part of the body

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