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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. field — a subject
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. wound — an injury
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. race — the arms race
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. board — a committee
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. field — for sport
  12. race — a contest
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wound — an injury
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. board — to get on
  19. field — farmland
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — for betting
  24. calf — of the leg

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