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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. wake — a trail
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. cap — a hat
  5. club — a group
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. swing — in golf
  9. race — a contest
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. race — the arms race
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. board — a committee
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a lid
  18. swing — to play on
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — for golf
  22. board — to get on
  23. swing — music
  24. race — humankind

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