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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. row — to paddle
  3. race — the arms race
  4. row — a line
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — humankind
  7. saw — the tool
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. capital — money
  10. saw — the tool
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bound — tied together
  13. kid — child
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. game — a match
  16. bound — certain
  17. capital — a city
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bound — obliged
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — in sport
  24. kid — to tease

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