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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. race — the arms race
  3. suit — clothes
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. track — a song
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. band — a music group
  8. hand — help
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bound — certain
  12. race — a contest
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. suit — to fit
  15. race — humankind
  16. band — a ring
  17. bound — obliged
  18. track — to keep track
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. pound — a weight
  21. suit — in cards
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. track — a path
  24. pound — to hit hard

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