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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. roll — a cake
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. suit — in cards
  5. race — a contest
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. tear — from crying
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. date — the fruit
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. race — humankind
  15. tear — to rip
  16. suit — clothes
  17. tear — from crying
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. roll — a list
  20. season — of the year
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. season — in sport
  23. pound — a weight
  24. suit — to fit

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