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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. race — a contest
  3. board — to get on
  4. stock — goods
  5. board — a committee
  6. court — of law
  7. rest — what's left
  8. present — the time now
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. rest — a break
  11. drill — the tool
  12. present — there
  13. drill — army training
  14. stock — shares
  15. race — humankind
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. court — of a king
  19. present — a gift
  20. drill — a practice
  21. court — for sport
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. race — the arms race
  24. dip — to sink

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