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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. race — a contest
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. ground — the earth
  6. field — a subject
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. pitch — completely
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. race — the arms race
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. ground — crushed
  17. field — farmland
  18. race — humankind
  19. field — for sport
  20. toast — bread
  21. board — a committee
  22. ground — a position
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. calf — of the leg

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