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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. race — a contest
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. club — a group
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. club — for dancing
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. race — humankind
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. spell — a short time
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. race — the arms race
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — shares
  18. spell — magic
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. club — for golf
  23. wound — an injury
  24. spell — letters

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