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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a tool
  5. race — humankind
  6. present — the time now
  7. pop — to visit
  8. land — to come down
  9. race — a contest
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pop — soda
  12. present — a gift
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. pop — music
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. stock — goods
  18. present — there
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. race — the arms race
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to click
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. stock — shares

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