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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: race · plane · rule · bowl · game · court · straw · safe

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. race — humankind
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of law
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. rule — a law
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. race — the arms race
  15. court — of a king
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. plane — a tool
  18. rule — government
  19. game — wild animals
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. game — a match
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. race — a contest

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