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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. key — in music
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. spring — a coil
  7. race — a contest
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — farmland
  12. race — the arms race
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. object — an aim
  15. kid — to tease
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — a thing
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. key — for a lock
  20. spring — the season
  21. key — the most important part
  22. field — a subject
  23. spring — of water
  24. kid — child

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