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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. board — to get on
  5. race — humankind
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — a country
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. spell — magic
  12. race — the arms race
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. race — a contest
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. spell — a short time
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. land — ground
  24. spell — letters

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