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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: fan · foot · track · race · pitcher · safe · wave · bay

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. track — a path
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. track — to keep track
  9. race — the arms race
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. race — a contest
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. track — a song
  23. foot — a measure
  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