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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 120 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. track — a path
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — the arms race
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. board — to get on
  8. stock — goods
  9. cue — for pool
  10. track — to keep track
  11. field — a subject
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. field — for sport
  14. cue — a hint
  15. stock — shares
  16. race — humankind
  17. dip — to sink
  18. track — a song
  19. field — farmland
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. board — a committee
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. cue — a signal

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