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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. toast — bread
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. mark — a trace
  7. club — a group
  8. craft — boats
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. club — for dancing
  11. board — a committee
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — in cards
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — humankind
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. craft — a skill
  20. mark — a grade
  21. club — for golf
  22. board — to get on
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. fan — to cool the air

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