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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: chip · bay · race · pit · date · safe · patient · spell

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. date — the fruit
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — humankind
  10. spell — letters
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. spell — magic
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. spell — a short time
  16. pit — a hole
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. chip — for betting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. chip — to eat
  24. date — on the calendar

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