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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. race — the arms race
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bound — certain
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. cell — a phone
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bound — tied together
  11. stock — shares
  12. fine — all right
  13. race — a contest
  14. stock — goods
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bound — obliged
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. race — humankind
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. wound — an injury
  21. fine — high quality
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — the fruit
  24. rush — hurry

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