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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 120 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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. board — to get on
  3. race — humankind
  4. lean — thin
  5. squash — to crush
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — in cards
  8. lean — to bend
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pop — soda
  11. board — a committee
  12. can — a tin
  13. deal — to handle
  14. can — to be able to
  15. squash — the sport
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. race — the arms race
  19. pop — to visit
  20. can — a tin
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. pop — music

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