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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 120 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — certain
  4. drill — army training
  5. can — to be able to
  6. race — a contest
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. drill — a practice
  11. chest — a box
  12. pound — a weight
  13. can — a tin
  14. drill — the tool
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — to get on
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — humankind
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bound — tied together
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. chest — of your body

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