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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: spell · cabinet · bass · bound · race · racket · fine · rush

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. spell — magic
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. fine — all right
  6. bass — low music
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — tied together
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. race — a contest
  15. bass — the fish
  16. spell — letters
  17. bound — obliged
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — the arms race
  20. spell — a short time
  21. fine — high quality
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rush — hurry

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