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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  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. race — the arms race
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. race — humankind
  4. board — a committee
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bulb — for light
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bulb — for light
  10. squash — the sport
  11. band — a music group
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. key — the most important part
  15. band — a ring
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. key — in music
  18. mark — a trace
  19. squash — to crush
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. race — a contest
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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