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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 120 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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. race — the arms race
  4. degree — an amount
  5. race — humankind
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. ground — a position
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — the earth
  16. board — a committee
  17. rush — hurry
  18. wake — a trail
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. degree — temperature
  21. season — in sport
  22. race — a contest
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. degree — from a university

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