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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: race · wind · coach · suit · present · board · cap · rule

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rule — government
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. present — a gift
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. present — there
  8. cap — of ice
  9. present — the time now
  10. race — humankind
  11. rule — a law
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. race — the arms race
  15. board — to get on
  16. suit — clothes
  17. cap — a hat
  18. suit — in cards
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. suit — to fit
  21. board — a committee
  22. race — a contest
  23. cap — a lid
  24. wind — moving air

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