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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. ground — a position
  4. court — of a king
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. club — a group
  8. ball — a dance
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. court — for sport
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. race — a contest
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — to grow
  15. kid — to tease
  16. ground — the earth
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. ball — a great time
  19. club — for dancing
  20. kid — child
  21. race — the arms race
  22. ground — crushed
  23. court — of law
  24. club — for golf

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