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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: can · ground · wake · dip · board · stand · race · spring

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. dip — to dunk
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. dip — to sink
  4. spring — the season
  5. board — a committee
  6. race — a contest
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. race — the arms race
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — to get on
  15. can — to be able to
  16. ground — a position
  17. spring — a coil
  18. ground — the earth
  19. spring — of water
  20. ground — crushed
  21. wake — a trail
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — on your feet
  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