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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. key — for a lock
  3. band — a ring
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. face — to point toward
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. race — humankind
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — in a road
  10. band — a music group
  11. race — a contest
  12. key — in music
  13. face — to confront
  14. key — the most important part
  15. race — the arms race
  16. pop — music
  17. face — part of the head
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. pop — soda
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pop — to visit
  24. racket — for tennis

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