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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  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. game — a match
  2. bank — for money
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ground — a position
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. ground — crushed
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. court — of law
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. ground — the earth
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — humankind
  17. bank — of a river
  18. court — of a king
  19. race — a contest
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bank — for money
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. court — for sport
  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