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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — the arms race
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. race — humankind
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. mate — a friend
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. last — finally
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. mate — a partner
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. last — to go on
  17. mate — to breed
  18. firm — decided
  19. last — final
  20. firm — steady
  21. fork — in a road
  22. sharp — clever
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. firm — a company

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