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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: ruler · bore · jam · mark · rash · race · cap · date

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. mark — a grade
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to tire
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cap — a lid
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. rash — a series
  10. cap — of ice
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. mark — a trace
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bore — to drill
  23. date — the fruit
  24. race — humankind

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