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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. game — a match
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — a list
  9. race — humankind
  10. swing — in golf
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. key — for a lock
  14. swing — music
  15. race — the arms race
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. swing — to play on
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. date — the fruit
  22. game — wild animals
  23. key — the most important part
  24. race — a contest

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