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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. race — a contest
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. race — the arms race
  5. key — in music
  6. last — final
  7. root — the cause
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. last — to go on
  10. root — of a word
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. race — humankind
  13. root — of a plant
  14. key — for a lock
  15. perch — the fish
  16. board — a committee
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. last — finally
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. key — the most important part
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wax — to grow

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