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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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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: vault · bound · can · band · squash · stick · toast · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bound — tied together
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. squash — to crush
  7. toast — bread
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a music group
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. race — a contest
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bound — obliged
  14. can — a tin
  15. race — humankind
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bound — certain
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. band — a ring
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. can — a tin

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