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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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. spell — letters
  3. craft — boats
  4. board — a committee
  5. spell — magic
  6. field — a subject
  7. craft — a skill
  8. race — the arms race
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pop — to visit
  13. race — a contest
  14. pop — music
  15. track — a path
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. track — a song
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. track — to keep track
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — farmland
  23. race — humankind
  24. vault — a safe

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