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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 · hide · ball · rule · stick · bat · race · nail

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — the arms race
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rule — government
  14. ball — a dance
  15. rule — a law
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bat — the animal
  19. race — a contest
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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