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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: race · drill · degree · safe · rock · game · cabinet · can

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. degree — from a university
  4. drill — army training
  5. race — a contest
  6. drill — the tool
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. degree — an amount
  9. can — a tin
  10. game — wild animals
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. drill — a practice
  13. race — humankind
  14. race — the arms race
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. degree — temperature
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. game — a match

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