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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 116 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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. race — a contest
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. club — for dancing
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. net — for catching
  9. cap — of ice
  10. rule — a law
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cap — a lid
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. race — humankind
  16. net — in sport
  17. club — for golf
  18. rule — government
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. club — a group
  21. net — after costs
  22. race — the arms race
  23. cap — a hat
  24. mouse — for a computer

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