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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bank — for money
  3. stock — goods
  4. race — a contest
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. cell — in biology
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stock — shares
  9. roll — a list
  10. pit — a hole
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. last — final
  13. bank — for money
  14. roll — a cake
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — finally
  17. pit — in a race
  18. race — humankind
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bank — of a river
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. race — the arms race
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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