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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. pit — a hole
  3. key — the most important part
  4. mate — a partner
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. key — for a lock
  7. game — wild animals
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. roll — a cake
  10. race — the arms race
  11. game — a match
  12. foot — a measure
  13. mate — to breed
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pit — in a race
  17. race — a contest
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a grade
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. key — in music
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. roll — a list

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