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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bound — obliged
  3. board — to get on
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. root — of a word
  6. present — a gift
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — a contest
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. root — of a plant
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. root — the cause
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wake — a trail
  16. present — the time now
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — tied together
  21. present — there
  22. race — humankind
  23. board — a committee
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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