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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. board — a committee
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. board — to get on
  6. rash — a series
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stock — goods
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pass — a permit
  13. net — in sport
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. race — a contest
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. net — after costs
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — hasty
  22. net — for catching
  23. stock — shares
  24. race — the arms race

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