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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 120 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. mine — for digging
  3. race — a contest
  4. game — wild animals
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. race — humankind
  7. pitch — completely
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. race — the arms race
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. board — to get on
  18. game — a match
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. board — a committee
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. game — a kind of play

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