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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — humankind
  4. key — the most important part
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. board — to get on
  7. field — for sport
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. key — in music
  10. game — wild animals
  11. deal — to handle
  12. field — farmland
  13. race — the arms race
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. board — a committee
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — a coil
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. key — for a lock
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. field — a subject
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. game — a match

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