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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. race — a contest
  7. hand — in cards
  8. pass — a permit
  9. race — humankind
  10. pitch — completely
  11. current — electric
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bound — certain
  16. hand — help
  17. current — of water
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. race — the arms race
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. current — happening now

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