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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 116 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bound — obliged
  6. mug — a face
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. march — the month
  9. bound — certain
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a cup
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. march — the month
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a dance
  17. march — music
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. race — a contest
  20. bound — tied together
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. game — a match
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. race — the arms race

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