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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. court — for sport
  4. file — a tool
  5. race — a contest
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. object — a thing
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. board — a committee
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. race — the arms race
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. board — to get on
  17. court — of law
  18. object — an aim
  19. file — a line of people
  20. race — humankind
  21. court — of a king
  22. object — to protest
  23. file — a document
  24. fan — a supporter

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