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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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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: date · cabinet · deal · pass · safe · race · stick · swing

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pass — a permit
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. swing — in golf
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — humankind
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. swing — music
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. swing — to play on
  19. race — the arms race
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. date — the fruit
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. cabinet — ministers

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