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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — humankind
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. mug — to rob
  7. race — the arms race
  8. mug — a face
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. land — a country
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. land — to come down
  13. march — the month
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. mug — a cup
  16. rule — a law
  17. board — a committee
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. land — ground
  21. march — music
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. rule — government
  24. march — the month

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