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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: key · fan · bound · race · racket · pitch · plane · saw

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. saw — the tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. race — humankind
  5. bound — obliged
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. race — a contest
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. race — the arms race
  11. saw — the tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pitch — completely
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. key — in music
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bound — tied together
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. key — for a lock
  24. plane — a tool

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