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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. saw — the tool
  4. board — to get on
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — a contest
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. mark — a trace
  10. pass — a permit
  11. race — humankind
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — to wash
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — high quality
  21. mark — a grade
  22. board — a committee
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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