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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bank — for money
  5. swing — music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. race — a contest
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bank — for money
  12. scale — in music
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rule — government
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bank — of a river
  20. race — humankind
  21. rule — a law
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. swing — to play on
  24. scale — size or range

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