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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. firm — decided
  3. field — for sport
  4. march — the month
  5. chip — for betting
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. firm — a company
  9. board — to get on
  10. pound — a weight
  11. race — a contest
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. field — a subject
  15. chip — to eat
  16. race — humankind
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. field — farmland
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. firm — steady
  23. board — a committee
  24. pound — for dogs

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