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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — tied together
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — the fruit
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bound — obliged
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. track — a path
  17. tear — from crying
  18. race — a contest
  19. track — to keep track
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. track — a song
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. race — humankind

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