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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pass — a permit
  4. race — the arms race
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pop — soda
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. board — to get on
  9. face — to point toward
  10. race — humankind
  11. face — to confront
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. board — a committee
  14. pop — music
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. face — part of the head
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. race — a contest

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