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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. pass — a permit
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. spell — a short time
  5. sharp — clever
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. spell — letters
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. mate — a partner
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. mate — a friend
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — to crush
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. race — a contest
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. spell — magic
  18. fine — all right
  19. mate — to breed
  20. race — humankind
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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