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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: chest · track · pitcher · swing · saw · race · safe · stick

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. race — the arms race
  5. chest — of your body
  6. saw — the tool
  7. track — to keep track
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. track — a song
  11. race — a contest
  12. swing — in golf
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. saw — the tool
  15. chest — of your body
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. track — a path
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. chest — a box
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — music
  24. safe — out of danger

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