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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. race — the arms race
  5. board — to get on
  6. drill — a practice
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. drill — the tool
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stock — goods
  13. race — a contest
  14. stock — shares
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. wake — a trail
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. drill — army training
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. race — humankind
  24. bowl — a dish

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