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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. race — the arms race
  4. stock — goods
  5. net — in sport
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. net — for catching
  9. race — a contest
  10. spell — magic
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. spell — letters
  13. net — after costs
  14. bore — to drill
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a hat
  17. ball — a great time
  18. cap — a lid
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bore — to tire
  21. spell — a short time
  22. race — humankind
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. stock — shares

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