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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. spring — a coil
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. row — a line
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a committee
  12. bulb — for light
  13. spring — of water
  14. tube — a container
  15. race — humankind
  16. tube — the underground
  17. spring — the season
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. row — to paddle
  23. race — a contest
  24. stand — to bear

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