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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. ground — the earth
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. race — humankind
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rush — hurry
  10. ground — crushed
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. pitch — completely
  16. ground — a position
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — a contest
  20. bound — certain
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. chip — to eat

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