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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. sharp — clever
  3. race — a contest
  4. fine — high quality
  5. board — to get on
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. press — newspapers
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. fine — all right
  10. press — to push
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. race — humankind
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. ground — a position
  16. board — a committee
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — final
  19. ground — crushed
  20. last — finally
  21. ground — the earth
  22. press — a publisher
  23. wake — a trail
  24. sharp — with an edge

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