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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — to get on
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. foot — a measure
  9. cap — a hat
  10. season — of the year
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — of ice
  13. tear — to rip
  14. board — a committee
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. season — in sport
  18. race — a contest
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. tear — from crying
  21. race — humankind
  22. tear — from crying
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. season — to add flavour

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