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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. race — a contest
  3. chip — for betting
  4. club — a group
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — humankind
  7. court — of a king
  8. mate — to breed
  9. club — for golf
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. court — for sport
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — a partner
  20. club — for dancing
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. fork — in a road

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