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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  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. race — a contest
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. mate — a friend
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bound — obliged
  6. court — for sport
  7. bound — certain
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. court — of law
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. land — ground
  14. court — of a king
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mate — to breed
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bound — tied together
  21. race — the arms race
  22. land — a country
  23. land — to come down
  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