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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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Word bank
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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: board · wave · leaves · club · pop · toast · land · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. land — a country
  3. land — ground
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. club — a group
  7. pop — music
  8. race — humankind
  9. pop — to visit
  10. club — for dancing
  11. toast — bread
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. board — a committee
  15. land — to come down
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. board — to get on
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. race — a contest
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pop — soda
  24. club — for golf

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