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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: sharp · firm · race · track · board · present · leaves · land

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. sharp — clever
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. firm — steady
  5. race — a contest
  6. land — a country
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. board — to get on
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. track — to keep track
  12. race — the arms race
  13. land — to come down
  14. firm — decided
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. present — a gift
  17. firm — a company
  18. race — humankind
  19. board — a committee
  20. track — a song
  21. present — there
  22. present — the time now
  23. land — ground
  24. sharp — exactly

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