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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. race — humankind
  3. swing — to play on
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. swing — in golf
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. craft — boats
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. craft — a skill
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. mate — a partner
  15. swing — music
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. mate — a friend
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — a contest
  21. board — to get on
  22. bat — the animal
  23. mate — to breed
  24. board — a committee

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