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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. race — the arms race
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. race — humankind
  8. board — to get on
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — in cards
  11. mark — a trace
  12. present — there
  13. present — the time now
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. race — a contest
  18. rock — a stone
  19. shower — rain
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. mark — a grade
  22. present — a gift
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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