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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · nail · season · trunk · ball · mug · cell · jam

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. ball — a dance
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cell — in biology
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. season — of the year
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. race — humankind
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. race — a contest
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. mug — to rob
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — in sport
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. ball — a great time
  20. mug — a cup
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. race — the arms race
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. cell — a phone

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