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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 second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bound — obliged
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — a leader
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. race — a contest
  7. bound — tied together
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. perch — the fish
  10. race — the arms race
  11. firm — decided
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. fall — to drop
  14. capital — a city
  15. fall — the season
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. firm — steady
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. race — humankind
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fall — to drop
  22. firm — a company
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bound — certain

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