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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. net — for catching
  3. last — to go on
  4. bass — low music
  5. race — a contest
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bass — the fish
  8. net — in sport
  9. bound — tied together
  10. rule — government
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. last — finally
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bound — obliged
  18. game — a match
  19. game — wild animals
  20. last — final
  21. rule — a law
  22. net — after costs
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bound — certain

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