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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 112 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — humankind
  3. board — to get on
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bass — the fish
  6. clip — for paper
  7. race — a contest
  8. clip — a video
  9. bulb — for light
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. spell — a short time
  12. clip — to cut
  13. spell — magic
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. cap — a lid
  18. board — a committee
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. spell — letters
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bass — low music

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