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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mate — a friend
  3. club — for golf
  4. stock — goods
  5. court — for sport
  6. stock — shares
  7. mate — to breed
  8. land — ground
  9. club — a group
  10. court — of law
  11. court — of a king
  12. land — a country
  13. race — humankind
  14. land — to come down
  15. race — the arms race
  16. club — for dancing
  17. mate — a partner
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. race — a contest
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  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