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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 116 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. board — a committee
  3. race — the arms race
  4. chair — a leader
  5. mate — a partner
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mate — to breed
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. mate — a friend
  14. race — a contest
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. last — final
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. race — humankind
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. safe — out of danger

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