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

Word bank: race · rock · stand · jam · shower · racket

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. race — the arms race
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. stand — to bear
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. shower — to wash
  10. rock — a stone
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. race — a contest
  15. shower — rain
  16. rock — music
  17. race — humankind
  18. racket — for tennis

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