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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. season — in sport
  3. race — the arms race
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. chest — of your body
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a hat
  10. chest — of your body
  11. season — of the year
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. hand — help
  15. cap — a lid
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. board — to get on
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. chest — a box
  20. date — the fruit
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — humankind
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. date — on the calendar

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