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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: saw · race · ball · court · present · ruler · chip · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. chip — to eat
  3. ball — a great time
  4. court — of a king
  5. present — there
  6. bound — tied together
  7. race — a contest
  8. bound — certain
  9. court — of law
  10. present — the time now
  11. race — the arms race
  12. court — for sport
  13. chip — for betting
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. race — humankind
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. present — a gift
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ruler — a monarch

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