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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: race · wave · mug · craft · chair · ruler · bound · pitcher

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bound — obliged
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. chair — a leader
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bound — certain
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. mug — a cup
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — the arms race
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. craft — a skill
  15. race — humankind
  16. mug — a face
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. craft — boats
  24. ruler — for measuring

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