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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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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: bound · pitcher · pass · race · fall · saw · racket · toast

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. toast — bread
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fall — the season
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — humankind
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pass — a permit
  18. race — a contest
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. pass — to succeed
  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