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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: mug · bass · ball · bear · bound · stand · race · fork

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bound — obliged
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. race — humankind
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bound — tied together
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bear — the animal
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bass — low music
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. mug — a face
  20. bound — certain
  21. stand — to bear
  22. mug — to rob
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bear — the animal

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