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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: cabinet · bound · perch · game · mine · pit · mate · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — in a race
  4. perch — the fish
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. race — a contest
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bound — tied together
  11. pit — a hole
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bound — obliged
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. game — wild animals
  18. mine — for digging
  19. game — a match
  20. mate — to breed
  21. race — humankind
  22. mate — a partner
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bound — certain

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