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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — humankind
  4. band — a ring
  5. pop — music
  6. suit — clothes
  7. rest — what's left
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bound — tied together
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. game — a match
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. rest — a break
  14. band — a music group
  15. race — a contest
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pop — soda
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pop — to visit
  21. game — wild animals
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bound — certain
  24. sharp — clever

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