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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bound — tied together
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. race — humankind
  6. band — a music group
  7. race — a contest
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — music
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. root — of a word
  13. toast — bread
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — all right
  16. bound — obliged
  17. root — the cause
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. root — of a plant
  21. band — a ring
  22. race — the arms race
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. fine — high quality

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