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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 116 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. capital — a city
  3. tear — from crying
  4. file — a tool
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — the tool
  7. board — to get on
  8. race — the arms race
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. tear — from crying
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. board — a committee
  15. file — a document
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. race — a contest
  18. tear — to rip
  19. capital — money
  20. stand — to bear
  21. drill — army training
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. race — humankind

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