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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
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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: mouse · court · pitch · bound · lash · race · object · hand

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bound — certain
  3. object — an aim
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. court — of law
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. court — for sport
  8. object — a thing
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. hand — in cards
  11. pitch — completely
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. object — to protest
  21. race — a contest
  22. court — of a king
  23. race — humankind
  24. hand — help

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