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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  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. foot — the bottom
  3. chest — a box
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — the underground
  6. cue — a hint
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. cue — a signal
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — a committee
  11. foot — a measure
  12. fine — all right
  13. board — to get on
  14. cue — for pool
  15. race — a contest
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fine — high quality
  18. chest — of your body
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — of the year
  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