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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: straw · lash · racket · race · vault · jam · ground · pit

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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. race — the arms race
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. vault — a safe
  7. race — a contest
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. ground — the earth
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. ground — a position
  13. pit — a hole
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. ground — crushed
  23. pit — in a race
  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