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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. pop — music
  3. last — finally
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. race — a contest
  6. pop — to visit
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — a leader
  9. ball — a great time
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. ball — a dance
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. board — a committee
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — humankind
  19. pitch — completely
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. branch — a division
  22. last — final
  23. last — to go on
  24. pop — soda

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