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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 120 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 · fan · board · firm · pop · face · season · drill

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. race — a contest
  3. face — to point toward
  4. season — of the year
  5. drill — a practice
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. face — part of the head
  8. drill — the tool
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — soda
  11. board — to get on
  12. pop — music
  13. drill — army training
  14. race — humankind
  15. firm — steady
  16. race — the arms race
  17. face — to confront
  18. firm — a company
  19. board — a committee
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. season — in sport
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. firm — decided

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