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

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. race — a contest
  3. key — for a lock
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. key — the most important part
  6. game — a match
  7. race — humankind
  8. kick — in football
  9. key — in music
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bound — certain
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bound — obliged
  16. dip — to sink
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. race — the arms race
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. date — the fruit
  22. game — wild animals
  23. pass — a permit
  24. dip — a sauce

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