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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — obliged
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bound — tied together
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. chip — to eat
  10. court — for sport
  11. march — music
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — help
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. court — of law
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. court — of a king
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — humankind
  24. race — a contest

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