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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: ball · drill · board · race · suit · rash · calf · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. race — a contest
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. wound — an injury
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. drill — a practice
  9. ball — a dance
  10. drill — the tool
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — humankind
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. rash — hasty
  19. suit — in cards
  20. rash — a series
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. suit — clothes
  23. drill — army training
  24. suit — to fit

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