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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · rest · squash · clip · race · plane · board · ball

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pit — a hole
  5. squash — the sport
  6. board — a committee
  7. squash — to crush
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rest — what's left
  11. plane — a tool
  12. clip — to cut
  13. pit — in a race
  14. clip — a video
  15. race — a contest
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. clip — for paper
  19. rest — a break
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — the arms race
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. board — to get on

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