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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. race — the arms race
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. can — a tin
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. rest — a break
  8. can — to be able to
  9. race — a contest
  10. ball — a great time
  11. dip — to sink
  12. can — a tin
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bat — the animal
  17. rest — what's left
  18. track — a song
  19. race — humankind
  20. track — a path
  21. track — to keep track
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. rest — what's left

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