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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. race — the arms race
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. race — humankind
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — to tease
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. race — a contest
  12. board — to get on
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. board — a committee
  19. pop — music
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — soda
  23. kid — child
  24. temple — a place of worship

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