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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. board — a committee
  6. race — a contest
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. race — humankind
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. race — the arms race
  12. season — of the year
  13. board — to get on
  14. deal — to handle
  15. fine — all right
  16. sharp — clever
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. fine — high quality
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. sharp — with an edge

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