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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. charge — a price
  3. bound — obliged
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bound — certain
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. charge — in control
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bass — low music
  12. race — humankind
  13. mate — a friend
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bass — the fish
  17. key — in music
  18. charge — electricity
  19. key — for a lock
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — the arms race
  23. bound — tied together
  24. game — a match

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