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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 120 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. board — to get on
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. race — humankind
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rash — hasty
  8. foot — a measure
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. race — a contest
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. race — the arms race
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a ring
  23. board — a committee
  24. rash — a series

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