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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. suit — in cards
  3. race — the arms race
  4. board — to get on
  5. kid — to tease
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to click
  8. suit — to fit
  9. board — a committee
  10. suit — clothes
  11. last — finally
  12. game — wild animals
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. game — a match
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. last — final
  19. race — humankind
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. last — to go on
  24. race — a contest

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