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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. face — to point toward
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — for betting
  5. race — a contest
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bound — tied together
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. scale — in music
  12. pass — a permit
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — part of the head
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — the arms race
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bound — certain

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