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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bound — obliged
  3. season — in sport
  4. lean — thin
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bound — tied together
  9. club — for golf
  10. bound — certain
  11. club — a group
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. race — a contest
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. club — for dancing
  17. race — humankind
  18. toast — bread
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. season — of the year
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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