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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. race — a contest
  3. spring — the season
  4. board — a committee
  5. cue — a signal
  6. spring — a coil
  7. cue — for pool
  8. file — a tool
  9. scale — size or range
  10. race — the arms race
  11. file — a line of people
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. file — a document
  16. race — humankind
  17. cue — a hint
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. scale — in music
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — a grade
  24. board — to get on

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