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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. race — a contest
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. cap — of ice
  7. race — humankind
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. row — to paddle
  10. pop — music
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pop — soda
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. row — a line
  15. cap — a hat
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. season — in sport
  18. race — the arms race
  19. board — to get on
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. board — a committee
  22. season — of the year
  23. pop — to visit
  24. leaves — lets stay

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