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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. suit — clothes
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. ball — a dance
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. race — a contest
  9. bound — certain
  10. suit — to fit
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. race — humankind
  13. wake — a trail
  14. pitch — completely
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bound — tied together
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. suit — in cards
  24. race — the arms race

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