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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. board — to get on
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. race — a contest
  5. fine — high quality
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. race — humankind
  9. track — a song
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. track — to keep track
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. stock — goods
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. deal — to handle
  17. stock — shares
  18. fine — all right
  19. track — a path
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — to sink
  23. board — a committee
  24. race — the arms race

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