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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rest — what's left
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a music group
  5. race — a contest
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. rest — a break
  8. board — a committee
  9. bore — to drill
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pit — a hole
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. capital — a city
  15. race — humankind
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — music
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. capital — money
  20. rock — a stone
  21. pit — in a race
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bore — to tire
  24. race — the arms race

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