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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 120 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. race — humankind
  3. mine — for digging
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. object — to protest
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. race — a contest
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. object — an aim
  15. deal — to handle
  16. object — a thing
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. race — the arms race
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. stock — goods
  22. key — for a lock
  23. stock — shares
  24. key — the most important part

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