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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. rule — a law
  3. race — humankind
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. kick — in football
  6. staff — employees
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. row — a line
  9. season — in sport
  10. board — to get on
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. court — of law
  13. row — to paddle
  14. staff — a stick
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. season — of the year
  17. court — for sport
  18. race — a contest
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. staff — employees
  21. rule — government
  22. board — a committee
  23. court — of a king
  24. board — a flat piece

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