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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: field · kick · race · key · cabinet · arm · deal · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. race — the arms race
  3. field — for sport
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. race — humankind
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bound — tied together
  9. field — a subject
  10. deal — to handle
  11. kick — in football
  12. field — farmland
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bound — obliged
  15. key — for a lock
  16. race — a contest
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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