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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. race — a contest
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. race — humankind
  6. hand — help
  7. fine — high quality
  8. stand — to bear
  9. swing — in golf
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bark — to shout
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. swing — music
  15. board — to get on
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. hand — in cards
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. race — the arms race
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. fine — all right

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