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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 116 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. rule — government
  3. bound — obliged
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — certain
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of law
  12. race — a contest
  13. rule — a law
  14. court — of a king
  15. sharp — clever
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. race — the arms race

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