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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. court — of a king
  3. bank — for money
  4. scale — in music
  5. race — humankind
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. scale — size or range
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. race — the arms race
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. court — for sport
  16. tube — the underground
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. tube — a container
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. court — of law

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