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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 116 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. march — the month
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. race — the arms race
  6. ground — crushed
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. ground — the earth
  9. race — a contest
  10. ground — a position
  11. plane — a tool
  12. race — humankind
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. scale — size or range
  15. lean — thin
  16. march — music
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. scale — in music
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. board — a committee
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. lean — to bend
  24. march — the month

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