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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. track — to keep track
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. track — a path
  9. race — humankind
  10. sharp — clever
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. pound — a weight
  13. race — the arms race
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. track — a song
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. date — the fruit
  24. branch — a division

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