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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  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. rush — a thrill
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — certain
  9. board — a committee
  10. race — humankind
  11. pass — a permit
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — a skill
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bound — tied together
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bat — the animal
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. race — a contest
  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