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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: mark · cabinet · band · bound · ball · race · file · kid

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. race — humankind
  4. file — a tool
  5. kid — to tease
  6. race — a contest
  7. bound — certain
  8. mark — a trace
  9. file — a document
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. ball — a dance
  12. file — a line of people
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. band — a ring
  15. kid — child
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bound — tied together
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. race — the arms race
  21. band — a music group
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bound — obliged

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