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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. squash — to crush
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. race — humankind
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. race — a contest
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. race — the arms race
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — a position
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. ground — crushed
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. squash — the sport
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. squash — the vegetable

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