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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — a contest
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. march — music
  5. pit — a hole
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. staff — employees
  8. board — to get on
  9. race — the arms race
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cue — a hint
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. content — happy
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. march — the month
  17. board — a committee
  18. cue — a signal
  19. march — the month
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. cue — for pool
  22. content — the amount
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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