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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 120 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: chair · chip · rush · nail · race · board · deal · spell

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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. nail — for a hammer
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. chair — a leader
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. race — the arms race
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. race — a contest
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. board — to get on
  14. chip — for betting
  15. race — humankind
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — letters
  18. rush — hurry
  19. deal — to handle
  20. board — a committee
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. spell — magic

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