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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: game · pitcher · stand · spell · bowl · race · safe · march

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — humankind
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stand — to bear
  8. march — the month
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. march — music
  12. race — the arms race
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. march — the month
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. spell — a short time
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — magic
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. game — a match
  24. game — a kind of play

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