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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. present — a gift
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bound — certain
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a match
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — there
  10. bound — obliged
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bound — tied together
  16. race — a contest
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bear — the animal
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — the arms race
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bear — the animal

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