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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. race — the arms race
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. present — there
  5. bank — for money
  6. present — a gift
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. fine — all right
  9. clip — a video
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. race — humankind
  13. board — to get on
  14. clip — to cut
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. race — a contest
  17. bank — of a river
  18. fine — high quality
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. present — the time now
  21. clip — for paper
  22. board — a committee
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bank — for money

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