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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 116 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pit — a hole
  6. race — a contest
  7. pitch — completely
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. court — of a king
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. race — humankind
  12. bear — the animal
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. court — for sport
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. wake — a trail
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. court — of law
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bear — the animal
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pit — in a race
  24. safe — out of danger

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