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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. race — the arms race
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. mate — a partner
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. race — a contest
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. pit — in a race
  11. race — humankind
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pit — a hole
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — a container
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a friend
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — of the year
  24. jam — in traffic

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