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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — humankind
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. board — a committee
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. rock — a stone
  8. board — to get on
  9. ground — crushed
  10. spell — a short time
  11. vault — a safe
  12. spell — letters
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. kid — child
  16. spell — magic
  17. race — the arms race
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. ground — a position
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. kid — to tease
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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