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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bound — certain
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. track — a song
  5. kick — in football
  6. track — a path
  7. track — to keep track
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. present — there
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. race — a contest
  16. bass — low music
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bound — tied together
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. present — a gift
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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