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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: mark · dip · mine · season · safe · track · race · ball

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. track — a song
  9. dip — to sink
  10. track — a path
  11. season — of the year
  12. track — to keep track
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. ball — a great time
  16. race — a contest
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. ball — a dance
  19. mark — a trace
  20. season — in sport
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. race — humankind
  24. ball — a round shape

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