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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  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. drill — army training
  2. race — a contest
  3. season — in sport
  4. race — the arms race
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. ground — crushed
  7. season — of the year
  8. board — to get on
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. ground — a position
  11. can — to be able to
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — the tool
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. can — a tin
  16. board — a committee
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. can — a tin
  22. mine — for digging
  23. ground — the earth
  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