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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 124 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  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. can — a tin
  2. bear — the animal
  3. club — a group
  4. staff — employees
  5. bound — certain
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — the arms race
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. can — to be able to
  12. staff — employees
  13. club — for dancing
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. club — for golf
  17. can — a tin
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bound — obliged
  20. fork — in a road
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bound — tied together
  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