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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. race — a contest
  3. rock — music
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. rock — a stone
  10. race — the arms race
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bound — tied together
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bound — certain
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. race — humankind
  24. arm — a part of something

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