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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. capital — money
  3. bat — the animal
  4. game — a match
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — clever
  7. suit — clothes
  8. race — humankind
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bound — tied together
  11. stand — to bear
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. race — a contest
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. suit — to fit
  19. game — wild animals
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bound — certain
  24. capital — a city

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