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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. club — for dancing
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — a contest
  5. ball — a dance
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bore — to drill
  8. band — a ring
  9. bound — obliged
  10. club — a group
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bore — to tire
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. band — a music group
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bound — tied together
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a great time
  22. race — humankind
  23. club — for golf
  24. branch — a division

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