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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. race — the arms race
  4. pit — a hole
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. game — wild animals
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. chair — a leader
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. race — humankind
  20. game — a match
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pit — in a race
  24. ruler — for measuring

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