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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. current — electric
  3. ball — a dance
  4. foot — a measure
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. spring — the season
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. race — the arms race
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. race — a contest
  15. capital — money
  16. spring — of water
  17. ball — a great time
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. spring — a coil
  21. current — of water
  22. current — happening now
  23. capital — a city
  24. foot — the bottom

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