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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: mate · bowl · pound · coach · firm · race · safe · ball

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. mate — a friend
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. firm — a company
  7. race — humankind
  8. mate — a partner
  9. firm — steady
  10. pound — a weight
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. firm — decided
  15. mate — to breed
  16. race — a contest
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. race — the arms race
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pound — to hit hard

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