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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. race — humankind
  4. fork — in a road
  5. race — a contest
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wax — to grow
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. race — the arms race
  18. pitch — completely

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