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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. cell — in biology
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — crushed
  5. snap — to click
  6. squash — to crush
  7. drill — the tool
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. cell — a phone
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — a practice
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. ground — the earth
  14. stock — shares
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. stock — goods
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. race — the arms race
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. race — humankind

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