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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  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. track — to keep track
  2. can — to be able to
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. board — a committee
  8. bore — to tire
  9. can — a tin
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. track — a path
  12. track — a song
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. can — a tin
  15. cell — a phone
  16. game — wild animals
  17. race — humankind
  18. cell — in biology
  19. race — a contest
  20. board — to get on
  21. game — a match
  22. bore — to drill
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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