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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · rush · race · date · present · pop · fork · safe

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. present — the time now
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — soda
  5. race — the arms race
  6. rush — hurry
  7. race — a contest
  8. present — a gift
  9. fork — in a road
  10. date — the fruit
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. race — humankind
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. present — there
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. cell — in biology
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pop — to visit

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