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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 120 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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. track — to keep track
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. pit — in a race
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. court — of law
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. court — for sport
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — a contest
  16. lean — thin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lean — to bend
  19. court — of a king
  20. scale — in music
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. race — the arms race
  23. track — a song
  24. track — a path

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