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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. land — a country
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. ground — a position
  8. race — a contest
  9. squash — the sport
  10. race — the arms race
  11. land — to come down
  12. ground — the earth
  13. land — ground
  14. squash — to crush
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. board — a committee
  17. race — humankind
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. dip — to sink
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. ground — crushed
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. cabinet — ministers

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