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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 · mouse · lean · rule · jam · mate · track · ground

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. race — the arms race
  7. ground — the earth
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — government
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. race — humankind
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — a position
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. lean — to bend
  19. track — a path
  20. race — a contest
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. lean — thin
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a friend

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