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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  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. race — a contest
  2. board — a committee
  3. race — humankind
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. stock — goods
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pitch — completely
  12. board — to get on
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. squash — the sport
  20. stock — shares
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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