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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bound — obliged
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bound — certain
  5. cap — a lid
  6. race — a contest
  7. cap — a hat
  8. key — for a lock
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. key — in music
  11. race — humankind
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. race — the arms race
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. key — the most important part
  19. cap — of ice
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pitch — completely

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