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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 120 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. net — for catching
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. race — humankind
  6. stand — to bear
  7. present — there
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. drill — the tool
  11. board — to get on
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. present — the time now
  14. track — to keep track
  15. present — a gift
  16. drill — a practice
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. mark — a trace
  20. race — the arms race
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. drill — army training
  24. race — a contest

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