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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 120 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: cabinet · present · march · safe · race · tube · fan · fork

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. tube — a container
  4. fork — in a road
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. march — the month
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. present — the time now
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. race — a contest
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. race — humankind
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. present — a gift
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. tube — the underground
  24. present — there

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