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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 120 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a partner
  3. dip — to sink
  4. key — in music
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. stock — goods
  11. key — for a lock
  12. race — a contest
  13. key — the most important part
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rash — a series
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. race — humankind
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. stock — shares
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. mate — a friend
  24. race — the arms race

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