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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: board · bowl · chip · racket · pass · race

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. bowl — a dish
  2. pass — a permit
  3. chip — for betting
  4. board — to get on
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. chip — to eat
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. race — a contest
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. race — humankind
  17. board — a committee
  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