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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. march — music
  4. bound — obliged
  5. race — a contest
  6. march — the month
  7. charge — a price
  8. race — the arms race
  9. branch — a division
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — certain
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. content — the amount
  15. race — humankind
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — electricity
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. march — the month
  21. content — happy
  22. game — a match
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. game — a kind of play

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