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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 116 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. band — a ring
  6. race — the arms race
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. race — humankind
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bound — tied together
  11. clip — for paper
  12. tube — a container
  13. bound — obliged
  14. clip — a video
  15. band — a music group
  16. tube — the underground
  17. clip — to cut
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — to fit
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bound — certain
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. race — a contest

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