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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 116 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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. race — humankind
  3. board — a committee
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — for sport
  6. race — the arms race
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. board — to get on
  9. race — a contest
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a lid
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. ball — a dance
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — a safe
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. mark — a grade
  20. field — a subject
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. ball — a great time
  24. cap — a hat

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