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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: nail · kick · race · jam · pit · fine · land · chip

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. land — a country
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. race — a contest
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. pit — a hole
  7. kick — in football
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. land — ground
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. race — the arms race
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. pit — in a race
  17. land — to come down
  18. race — humankind
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. fine — all right
  24. chip — for betting

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