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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. stock — shares
  5. race — the arms race
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. mark — a trace
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. key — for a lock
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. branch — a division
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. key — in music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. stock — goods
  18. shower — to wash
  19. race — humankind
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. race — a contest
  22. mark — a grade
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. shower — rain

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