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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 116 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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. court — of law
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fork — in a road
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bore — to tire
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. court — of a king
  12. pitch — completely
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. court — for sport
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. rock — music
  21. bore — to drill
  22. race — a contest
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — a stone

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