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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: clip · squash · cabinet · cap · race · chair · pit · board

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. clip — for paper
  3. board — to get on
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. clip — to cut
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. clip — a video
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — the arms race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. squash — the sport
  12. race — a contest
  13. pit — in a race
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cap — a hat
  17. board — a committee
  18. squash — to crush
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a leader
  23. cap — of ice
  24. board — a flat piece

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