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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. race — a contest
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. race — humankind
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — clever
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. track — a song
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. field — for sport
  17. track — a path
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bass — low music
  21. field — a subject
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. field — farmland
  24. bass — the fish

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