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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. game — a match
  3. scale — size or range
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. race — the arms race
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. spring — a coil
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. race — humankind
  12. rock — a stone
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. game — wild animals
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — the season
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. current — happening now
  19. race — a contest
  20. current — of water
  21. scale — in music
  22. current — electric
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. rock — music

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