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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. race — humankind
  3. club — a group
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. race — a contest
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. club — for golf
  10. toast — bread
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. race — the arms race
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. field — farmland
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. field — for sport
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. field — a subject
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. bowl — to roll

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