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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. kid — to tease
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. dip — to sink
  8. key — for a lock
  9. fine — high quality
  10. kid — child
  11. board — to get on
  12. race — a contest
  13. land — to come down
  14. board — a committee
  15. fine — all right
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. land — a country
  19. key — the most important part
  20. race — humankind
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. race — the arms race
  23. rest — a break
  24. land — ground

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