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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. scale — in music
  5. race — a contest
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. race — humankind
  8. row — to paddle
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. race — the arms race
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. scale — size or range
  14. can — a tin
  15. board — to get on
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. hand — in cards
  19. can — to be able to
  20. row — a line
  21. can — a tin
  22. board — a committee
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. hand — help

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