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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. race — the arms race
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. board — a committee
  8. rock — a stone
  9. board — to get on
  10. rule — a law
  11. cap — of ice
  12. rule — government
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — music
  15. race — a contest
  16. cold — not warm
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cap — a hat
  20. can — a tin
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. cap — a lid
  23. race — humankind
  24. kid — to tease

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