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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: bowl · wind · pass · dip · present · race · craft · jam

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. race — humankind
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. present — there
  8. race — a contest
  9. craft — boats
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. craft — a skill
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. race — the arms race
  18. present — a gift
  19. dip — to sink
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. present — the time now
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — a permit

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