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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. ball — a great time
  3. race — the arms race
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. mark — a grade
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — for paper
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. hand — in cards
  13. clip — to cut
  14. hand — help
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — for dancing
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — humankind
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a trace
  23. ball — a dance
  24. pitch — completely

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