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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. fine — all right
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. board — a committee
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. net — after costs
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. net — in sport
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — high quality
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — a contest
  17. net — for catching
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. rock — a stone
  20. board — to get on
  21. hand — in cards
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. hand — help

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