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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. bulb — for light
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. present — a gift
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. race — the arms race
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. file — a document
  13. present — the time now
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — a contest
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mine — for digging
  19. file — a tool
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. scale — size or range
  23. file — a line of people
  24. present — there

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