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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. race — humankind
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. board — a committee
  5. spell — letters
  6. deal — to handle
  7. race — the arms race
  8. mark — a grade
  9. track — a path
  10. track — a song
  11. spell — a short time
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. track — to keep track
  15. mark — a trace
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. race — a contest
  18. board — to get on

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