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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. content — happy
  3. content — the amount
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. rash — a series
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. can — a tin
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. scale — in music
  14. rash — hasty
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. can — to be able to
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. race — a contest
  21. can — a tin
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. race — the arms race
  24. scale — size or range

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