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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 116 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. suit — clothes
  3. court — of law
  4. file — a tool
  5. band — a ring
  6. board — a committee
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. rest — what's left
  10. court — of a king
  11. suit — to fit
  12. rest — a break
  13. court — for sport
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. suit — in cards
  17. race — a contest
  18. band — a music group
  19. race — humankind
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a document
  23. race — the arms race
  24. board — to get on

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