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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. race — humankind
  4. present — a gift
  5. scale — in music
  6. mark — a trace
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. race — the arms race
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. scale — size or range
  11. roll — a cake
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. race — a contest
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. hand — help
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. hand — in cards
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. present — the time now
  23. roll — a list
  24. present — there

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