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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. sharp — clever
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. race — the arms race
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — a contest
  10. fall — the season
  11. march — the month
  12. march — the month
  13. ball — a great time
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. march — music
  16. ball — a dance
  17. fall — to drop
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — happy
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. fall — to drop
  24. safe — out of danger

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