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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: pit · safe · net · nail · date · race · game · stick

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — in sport
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. race — the arms race
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. net — for catching
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. race — a contest
  13. game — wild animals
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. pit — a hole
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pit — in a race
  18. date — the fruit
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. game — a match
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. nail — for a hammer

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