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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: mine · club · bear · race · bowl · safe · squash · fine

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. club — for golf
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. club — for dancing
  11. race — humankind
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fine — all right
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mine — for digging
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. race — the arms race
  24. club — a group

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