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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. court — of a king
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bank — for money
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. swing — music
  9. race — the arms race
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. branch — a division
  13. bank — for money
  14. rule — a law
  15. court — of law
  16. rule — government
  17. swing — in golf
  18. court — for sport
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. race — a contest
  22. bank — of a river
  23. swing — to play on
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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