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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bound — obliged
  3. cap — a lid
  4. suit — in cards
  5. cap — of ice
  6. race — a contest
  7. bound — certain
  8. charge — a price
  9. suit — to fit
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cap — a hat
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. suit — clothes
  17. race — the arms race
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bound — tied together
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lie — to recline
  24. race — humankind

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