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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. race — the arms race
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. spell — magic
  6. bound — tied together
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bound — certain
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — high quality
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. spell — letters
  18. bound — obliged
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — a contest
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cabinet — ministers

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