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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. fall — to drop
  3. land — to come down
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. club — for golf
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. race — a contest
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. last — finally
  13. land — ground
  14. last — to go on
  15. bound — certain
  16. race — the arms race
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. last — final
  20. bound — obliged
  21. race — humankind
  22. club — a group
  23. bound — tied together
  24. club — for dancing

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