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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. board — a committee
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. ball — a dance
  6. can — a tin
  7. season — in sport
  8. race — the arms race
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. can — a tin
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. sharp — clever
  18. race — humankind
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. race — a contest
  21. can — to be able to
  22. ball — a great time
  23. board — to get on
  24. plane — a tool

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