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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: safe · bulb · court · fine · track · race · straw · cap

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. cap — a hat
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a song
  5. race — humankind
  6. bulb — for light
  7. court — for sport
  8. cap — a lid
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. court — of law
  11. bulb — for light
  12. race — the arms race
  13. fine — high quality
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. race — a contest
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. court — of a king
  24. cap — of ice

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