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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.

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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 · press · mark · key · fork · bowl · pit · safe

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. key — the most important part
  6. pit — a hole
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. race — the arms race
  10. press — to push
  11. race — humankind
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. mark — a grade
  17. press — newspapers
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. press — a publisher
  20. fork — in a road
  21. key — for a lock
  22. race — a contest
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. mark — to pay attention

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