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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 120 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. race — a contest
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. staff — a stick
  9. land — ground
  10. pop — soda
  11. staff — employees
  12. content — the amount
  13. pop — music
  14. bound — tied together
  15. race — humankind
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. content — happy
  18. land — to come down
  19. pop — to visit
  20. land — a country
  21. bound — obliged
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. staff — employees
  24. bound — certain

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