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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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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. file — a document
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. race — a contest
  5. file — a line of people
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. cold — an illness
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. board — to get on
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. board — a committee
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pit — in a race
  19. file — a tool
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. race — humankind
  22. cold — not warm
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pit — a hole

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