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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: march · bore · dip · arm · toast · race · content · jam

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bore — to drill
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. content — happy
  9. march — the month
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. toast — bread
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bore — to tire
  17. race — a contest
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. dip — to sink
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. content — the amount
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. toast — the most admired

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