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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. land — to come down
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. land — ground
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. sharp — clever
  10. stock — goods
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. race — a contest
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. race — humankind
  20. stock — shares
  21. race — the arms race
  22. land — a country
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. safe — out of danger

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