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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: race · wake · board · bat · bowl · key

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. board — to get on
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. key — in music
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. race — humankind
  10. wake — a trail
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. key — the most important part
  14. board — a committee
  15. race — a contest
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bat — the animal

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