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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — humankind
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bound — obliged
  5. march — music
  6. race — the arms race
  7. hand — in cards
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rest — a break
  13. march — the month
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. march — the month
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bound — certain
  22. hand — help
  23. bound — tied together
  24. rest — what's left

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