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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: march · rock · race · jam · mark · fine · object · safe

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. race — a contest
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. race — humankind
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — high quality
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. march — music
  13. object — a thing
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. mark — a grade
  18. race — the arms race
  19. march — the month
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. object — to protest
  22. mark — a trace
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. march — the month

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