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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. race — a contest
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — an amount
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. key — for a lock
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. key — the most important part
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. date — the fruit
  14. key — in music
  15. pound — a weight
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. race — the arms race
  20. degree — temperature
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. date — on the calendar
  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