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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: toast · race · bay · game · pitcher · kick · band · safe

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. game — wild animals
  7. race — the arms race
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. race — a contest
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. race — humankind
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. game — a match
  15. toast — bread
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. band — a music group
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a ring
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. kick — in football
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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