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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. race — a contest
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. race — humankind
  7. wax — to grow
  8. date — the fruit
  9. pit — a hole
  10. race — the arms race
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. pit — in a race
  15. press — a publisher
  16. ball — a dance
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. press — newspapers
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. press — to push
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. wax — for sculpting

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