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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bound — certain
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — a law
  7. race — a contest
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bound — obliged
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bass — low music
  13. kick — in football
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bass — the fish
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bound — tied together
  19. scale — in music
  20. court — of a king
  21. race — humankind
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of law
  24. kick — with a leg

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