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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. land — ground
  3. game — wild animals
  4. scale — size or range
  5. game — a match
  6. race — the arms race
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. foot — a measure
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stock — shares
  17. scale — in music
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. land — to come down
  20. race — a contest
  21. date — the fruit
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — goods
  24. land — a country

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