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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. net — after costs
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. season — of the year
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. board — to get on
  7. net — for catching
  8. snap — to click
  9. season — in sport
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. net — in sport
  12. swing — to play on
  13. board — a committee
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. swing — music
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. swing — in golf
  18. race — a contest
  19. rock — a stone
  20. race — the arms race
  21. rock — music
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. rock — to move gently

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