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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. firm — steady
  3. kid — child
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. board — a committee
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. firm — a company
  8. object — an aim
  9. last — finally
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. firm — decided
  13. last — to go on
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. race — the arms race
  16. last — final
  17. object — a thing
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. race — humankind
  20. board — to get on
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bat — the animal
  24. object — to protest

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