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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. pop — soda
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. spell — letters
  6. pop — music
  7. race — the arms race
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. race — humankind
  10. spell — a short time
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. kid — to tease
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. land — to come down
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. kid — child
  18. race — a contest
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. land — a country
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. land — ground
  23. pop — to visit
  24. safe — out of danger

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