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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — obliged
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. race — the arms race
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. race — humankind
  9. foot — a measure
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. race — a contest
  12. craft — boats
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — for sport
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bound — tied together
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. craft — a skill
  22. kick — in football
  23. field — a subject
  24. racket — for tennis

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