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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: chest · dip · nail · bay · mate · race · jam · ball

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. race — a contest
  7. mate — to breed
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. mate — a friend
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. chest — a box
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mate — a partner
  17. dip — to sink
  18. chest — of your body
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. race — humankind

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