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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 116 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — humankind
  3. net — in sport
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bear — the animal
  6. board — to get on
  7. suit — in cards
  8. swing — to play on
  9. board — a committee
  10. swing — in golf
  11. race — a contest
  12. suit — clothes
  13. file — a tool
  14. net — after costs
  15. lean — to bend
  16. swing — music
  17. lean — thin
  18. file — a line of people
  19. net — for catching
  20. suit — to fit
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bear — the animal
  23. file — a document
  24. bear — to put up with

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