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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. race — a contest
  3. bound — tied together
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. can — a tin
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. saw — the tool
  8. scale — size or range
  9. rock — a stone
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bound — obliged
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. race — humankind
  16. can — to be able to
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. rock — music
  20. can — a tin
  21. bound — certain
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. race — the arms race
  24. scale — in music

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