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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. deal — to handle
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — humankind
  5. rule — government
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. track — to keep track
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — a trace
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. track — a path
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a committee
  21. track — a song
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. race — the arms race
  24. spell — a short time

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