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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: track · bore · jam · roll · race · calf · current · toast

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. race — the arms race
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. current — electric
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. roll — a cake
  11. track — to keep track
  12. roll — a list
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. current — of water
  16. race — a contest
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. current — happening now
  19. track — a song
  20. track — a path
  21. toast — bread
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — gave birth

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