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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: ruler · race · club · temple · pitch · content · rash · jam

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — the amount
  4. race — a contest
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. club — for golf
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rash — hasty
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. race — the arms race
  19. rash — a series
  20. club — a group
  21. race — humankind
  22. content — happy
  23. club — for dancing
  24. pitch — completely

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