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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 120 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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. race — a contest
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. race — the arms race
  6. file — a document
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. file — a tool
  11. wound — an injury
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. foot — a measure
  15. file — a line of people
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. ball — a great time
  18. game — wild animals
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. game — a match
  23. ball — a dance
  24. pitch — completely

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