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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 · clip · firm · ball · file · cue · fine · jam

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. race — humankind
  3. cue — a hint
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. firm — decided
  6. clip — to cut
  7. file — a line of people
  8. race — the arms race
  9. clip — a video
  10. firm — steady
  11. race — a contest
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. clip — for paper
  15. firm — a company
  16. cue — a signal
  17. ball — a great time
  18. cue — for pool
  19. ball — a dance
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. fine — all right
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a document
  24. fine — high quality

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