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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: race · rule · season · chair · jam · hide

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. race — a contest
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rule — a law
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. race — humankind
  11. season — in sport
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. race — the arms race
  14. season — of the year
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. chair — a leader

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