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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pit — a hole
  4. wind — moving air
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — the arms race
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. race — a contest
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mine — for digging
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. board — a committee
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. stand — to bear
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. stand — for spectators

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