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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. hand — help
  3. key — the most important part
  4. rule — government
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pound — a weight
  10. race — humankind
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bound — certain
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a match
  15. race — a contest
  16. bound — obliged
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. key — for a lock
  22. rule — a law
  23. key — in music
  24. hand — in cards

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