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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: race · key · hand · content · can · cap · bound · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. content — happy
  5. bound — obliged
  6. suit — clothes
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. cap — a lid
  9. can — a tin
  10. key — in music
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — certain
  13. key — the most important part
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. suit — to fit
  16. key — for a lock
  17. race — the arms race
  18. cap — of ice
  19. content — the amount
  20. race — humankind
  21. hand — help
  22. race — a contest
  23. cap — a hat
  24. hand — in cards

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