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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — a contest
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. bound — tied together
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. club — a group
  11. capital — a city
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bound — certain
  14. field — farmland
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bound — obliged
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. capital — money
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. club — for golf
  24. race — the arms race

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