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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 116 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. stand — to bear
  3. board — to get on
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. race — humankind
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. court — of a king
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. board — a committee
  12. swing — in golf
  13. key — for a lock
  14. swing — to play on
  15. key — the most important part
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. swing — music
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of law
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — the arms race
  24. stand — on your feet

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