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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. band — a ring
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. race — the arms race
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. cue — a signal
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. land — to come down
  10. cue — a hint
  11. land — a country
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. cue — for pool
  15. race — a contest
  16. land — ground
  17. pound — a weight
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. band — a music group
  24. race — humankind

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