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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: pound · race · hand · safe · jam · season · content · bore

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. bore — to drill
  3. race — a contest
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. hand — help
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pound — a weight
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. hand — in cards
  14. season — in sport
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. content — the amount
  19. season — of the year
  20. content — happy
  21. bore — to tire
  22. race — the arms race
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. pound — for dogs

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