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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. scale — size or range
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. staff — employees
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. race — a contest
  7. track — a song
  8. key — in music
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. key — the most important part
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. key — for a lock
  15. scale — in music
  16. rush — hurry
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. staff — a stick
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. race — the arms race
  23. staff — employees
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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