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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bulb — for light
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bulb — for light
  6. board — a committee
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. board — to get on
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. degree — temperature
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. rash — a series
  22. degree — from a university
  23. race — humankind
  24. rash — on the skin

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