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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. file — a document
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. game — a match
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. scale — size or range
  10. ball — a dance
  11. file — a line of people
  12. sharp — clever
  13. ball — a great time
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. deal — to handle
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — humankind
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. file — a tool
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. scale — in music
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — wild animals

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