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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. race — the arms race
  2. hand — in cards
  3. board — to get on
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. club — for golf
  6. tear — to rip
  7. race — humankind
  8. tear — from crying
  9. club — for dancing
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — in control
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. tear — from crying
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. club — a group
  18. hand — help
  19. charge — a price
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. board — a committee
  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