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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. race — humankind
  3. chip — for betting
  4. last — final
  5. last — to go on
  6. race — a contest
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. scale — size or range
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. scale — in music
  16. race — the arms race
  17. last — finally
  18. prune — to trim
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. prune — to trim
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. chip — to eat

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