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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  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. fork — to eat with
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. court — of law
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. race — humankind
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. race — the arms race
  9. fork — in a road
  10. march — music
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. race — a contest
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. march — the month
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. kick — in football
  23. march — the month
  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