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

Word bank: race · content · field · firm · fine · safe · arm · row

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. firm — a company
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. firm — steady
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. content — the amount
  11. race — a contest
  12. fine — all right
  13. content — happy
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. row — a line
  16. field — a subject
  17. row — to paddle
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. field — for sport
  22. firm — decided
  23. race — humankind
  24. field — farmland

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