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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. plane — a tool
  3. scale — in music
  4. race — a contest
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. club — for golf
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. race — humankind
  9. tube — a container
  10. net — in sport
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. tube — the underground
  13. race — the arms race
  14. scale — size or range
  15. club — a group
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — after costs
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. club — for dancing
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. plane — in geometry

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