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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. race — the arms race
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. rest — what's left
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. race — humankind
  9. bass — low music
  10. object — an aim
  11. rest — what's left
  12. kid — to tease
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rest — a break
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. kid — child
  20. object — to protest
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. bass — the fish
  23. race — a contest
  24. object — a thing

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