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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. can — a tin
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cell — a phone
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bound — tied together
  8. cap — of ice
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bound — certain
  11. cell — in biology
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. can — to be able to
  14. cap — a lid
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. race — the arms race
  20. pitch — completely
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. race — a contest
  23. can — a tin
  24. race — humankind

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