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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. hand — in cards
  3. race — the arms race
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. key — the most important part
  6. can — a tin
  7. bound — tied together
  8. can — a tin
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — ground
  11. key — in music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. race — a contest
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bound — certain
  16. hand — help
  17. key — for a lock
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. race — humankind
  21. land — a country
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. can — to be able to
  24. mine — for digging

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