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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. race — humankind
  4. deal — to handle
  5. land — a country
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. roll — a cake
  8. land — to come down
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. snap — to click
  13. roll — a list
  14. branch — a division
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. land — ground
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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