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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. file — a tool
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. race — a contest
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mug — a face
  9. board — a committee
  10. race — the arms race
  11. saw — the tool
  12. ball — a great time
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. race — humankind
  15. ball — a dance
  16. file — a line of people
  17. mug — a cup
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mug — to rob
  21. file — a document
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — before a funeral

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