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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. key — in music
  5. current — electric
  6. ground — a position
  7. land — a country
  8. pitch — completely
  9. race — humankind
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. land — to come down
  13. board — a committee
  14. key — for a lock
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. ground — crushed
  17. race — a contest
  18. ground — the earth
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. current — of water
  21. board — to get on
  22. current — happening now
  23. land — ground
  24. pitch — a sports field

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