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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — humankind
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bound — tied together
  9. tube — the underground
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ball — a great time
  14. last — finally
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. tube — a container
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. last — to go on
  21. ball — a dance
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bound — certain
  24. last — final

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