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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pop — soda
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. content — the amount
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. object — an aim
  9. pop — music
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — the fruit
  15. race — the arms race
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. race — a contest
  18. content — happy
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. object — to protest
  21. race — humankind
  22. object — a thing
  23. pop — to visit
  24. cabinet — ministers

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