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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: ground · key · bound · race · roll · pass · club · hide

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. key — in music
  3. bound — tied together
  4. ground — the earth
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bound — certain
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. club — a group
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bound — obliged
  13. race — a contest
  14. key — the most important part
  15. club — for dancing
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. roll — a list
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. race — the arms race
  20. ground — crushed
  21. club — for golf
  22. ground — a position
  23. key — for a lock
  24. pass — a permit

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