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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. tube — a container
  5. race — humankind
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. scale — in music
  9. race — a contest
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. pit — a hole
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. scale — size or range
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. race — the arms race

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