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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: toast · object · race · pop · pit · board · wind · patient

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wind — moving air
  4. race — a contest
  5. pit — a hole
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pop — to visit
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. race — the arms race
  10. wind — moving air
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. object — to protest
  14. pit — in a race
  15. board — a committee
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — soda
  20. object — a thing
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. board — to get on
  23. object — an aim
  24. race — humankind

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