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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: ruler · bound · club · roll · safe · race · dip · stick

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. club — for golf
  5. race — a contest
  6. club — for dancing
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bound — certain
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. club — a group
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bound — obliged
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bound — tied together
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. roll — a cake
  20. race — humankind
  21. roll — a list
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. ruler — for measuring

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