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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. race — the arms race
  3. capital — a city
  4. cue — a signal
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. race — humankind
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rest — a break
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rest — what's left
  15. race — a contest
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cue — for pool
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. capital — money
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — to get on
  24. pitcher — a jug

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