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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — the arms race
  3. last — finally
  4. staff — employees
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. last — final
  10. board — to get on
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stock — shares
  13. race — humankind
  14. stock — goods
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. staff — a stick
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. last — to go on
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. board — a committee
  23. staff — employees
  24. calf — a young animal

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