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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bound — obliged
  3. saw — the tool
  4. current — happening now
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. current — electric
  7. ground — a position
  8. race — a contest
  9. ground — the earth
  10. pass — a permit
  11. race — humankind
  12. bulb — for light
  13. current — of water
  14. ground — crushed
  15. saw — the tool
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bulb — for light
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bound — certain
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. bound — tied together

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