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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. race — a contest
  3. ground — a position
  4. charge — in control
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. ground — crushed
  7. charge — electricity
  8. roll — a cake
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. last — finally
  12. race — humankind
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. drill — the tool
  15. last — to go on
  16. ground — the earth
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. drill — a practice
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. charge — a price
  21. drill — army training
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. race — the arms race
  24. last — final

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