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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: calf · rest · bound · board · race · can · court · land

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bound — tied together
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. court — of a king
  5. rest — a break
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — humankind
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. land — a country
  10. bound — obliged
  11. can — a tin
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. land — ground
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. rest — what's left
  16. can — to be able to
  17. court — of law
  18. land — to come down
  19. can — a tin
  20. board — to get on
  21. race — the arms race
  22. court — for sport
  23. board — a committee
  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