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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. spell — magic
  5. root — the cause
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. race — a contest
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. root — of a word
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — a short time
  21. root — of a plant
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. race — humankind
  24. race — the arms race

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