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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: scale · bound · race · kick · mouse · present · ground · land

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. scale — size or range
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bound — obliged
  6. present — there
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bound — certain
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. present — a gift
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. kick — in football
  14. scale — in music
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. race — the arms race
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. race — humankind
  19. land — ground
  20. present — the time now
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — a position
  23. bound — tied together
  24. ground — crushed

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