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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. tube — a container
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. race — a contest
  8. bound — obliged
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. game — wild animals
  12. net — in sport
  13. race — the arms race
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. net — after costs
  18. game — a match
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. race — humankind
  21. net — for catching
  22. tube — the underground
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bound — tied together

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