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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. can — a tin
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. spring — of water
  5. race — humankind
  6. mate — to breed
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. race — a contest
  10. key — in music
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. can — a tin
  13. mate — a partner
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. spring — a coil
  16. key — for a lock
  17. board — to get on
  18. key — the most important part
  19. race — the arms race
  20. can — to be able to
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. mate — a friend
  23. spring — the season
  24. dip — to sink

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