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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. staff — employees
  5. board — to get on
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. rest — what's left
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. march — the month
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. staff — employees
  12. march — the month
  13. rest — a break
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. march — music
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pound — a weight
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — humankind
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rest — what's left
  23. staff — a stick
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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