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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: jam · pit · ball · cap · race · rash · root · cell

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. pit — in a race
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cap — a hat
  7. race — the arms race
  8. cap — of ice
  9. root — of a plant
  10. pit — a hole
  11. rash — a series
  12. cap — a lid
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — humankind
  15. root — the cause
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. ball — a dance
  18. rash — hasty
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. cell — a phone
  24. root — of a word

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