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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. race — the arms race
  4. swing — to play on
  5. race — humankind
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bound — tied together
  11. cue — for pool
  12. key — the most important part
  13. cue — a signal
  14. chair — a leader
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a music group
  17. race — a contest
  18. swing — music
  19. bound — certain
  20. key — in music
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bound — obliged
  23. key — for a lock
  24. chair — a professorship

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