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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. chip — to eat
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. chip — for betting
  6. field — a subject
  7. spring — a coil
  8. race — humankind
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. race — a contest
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — for sport
  13. roll — a list
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — of water
  18. roll — a cake
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. race — the arms race
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. vault — a safe

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