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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  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. race — humankind
  2. cue — for pool
  3. field — farmland
  4. cue — a hint
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bark — to shout
  9. race — a contest
  10. rule — a law
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. field — a subject
  13. cue — a signal
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. shower — rain
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. rule — government
  18. perch — the fish
  19. field — for sport
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. shower — to wash
  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