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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: board · pit · bowl · swing · mug · race

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. mug — to rob
  3. board — to get on
  4. race — the arms race
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — in a race
  7. race — humankind
  8. swing — music
  9. mug — a cup
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. race — a contest
  13. mug — a face
  14. board — a committee
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bowl — to roll

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