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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: plane · sharp · bound · ground · content · race · press · toast

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  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. sharp — with an edge
  3. press — to push
  4. bound — tied together
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. press — newspapers
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. toast — bread
  11. ground — a position
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. press — a publisher
  14. race — a contest
  15. ground — the earth
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. ground — crushed
  18. content — the amount
  19. plane — a tool
  20. race — humankind
  21. bound — obliged
  22. content — happy
  23. content — videos and posts
  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