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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. race — humankind
  3. current — happening now
  4. pop — music
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. race — the arms race
  7. current — of water
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — clever
  10. current — electric
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. pop — to visit
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. race — a contest
  17. pop — soda
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. game — a match
  23. game — wild animals
  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