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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. race — a contest
  5. bound — obliged
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — a permit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. race — the arms race
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bound — tied together
  17. race — humankind
  18. bound — certain

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