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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: band · game · firm · race · land · mouse · can · face

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. race — a contest
  5. land — to come down
  6. firm — decided
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. race — humankind
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — a match
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. firm — steady
  13. band — a ring
  14. can — a tin
  15. face — part of the head
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. game — wild animals
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — to confront
  20. band — a music group
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. race — the arms race
  23. land — a country
  24. firm — a company

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