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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. track — to keep track
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — a contest
  9. squash — the sport
  10. drill — the tool
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. drill — army training
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. track — a path
  21. squash — to crush
  22. drill — a practice
  23. race — the arms race
  24. track — a song

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