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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. race — the arms race
  5. content — the amount
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. rush — hurry
  8. race — a contest
  9. row — to paddle
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. race — humankind
  13. wake — a trail
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. chip — for betting
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. board — to get on
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. board — a committee
  22. chair — a leader
  23. content — happy
  24. row — a line

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