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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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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: jam · capital · rash · stock · roll · race · rush · present

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. present — a gift
  4. roll — a cake
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. present — there
  8. capital — money
  9. capital — a city
  10. race — humankind
  11. roll — a list
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. present — the time now
  15. rash — a series
  16. race — a contest
  17. rush — hurry
  18. stock — shares
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. race — the arms race
  21. stock — goods
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — hasty

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