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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: content · squash · board · bank · leaves · race · rush · fan

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. board — a committee
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. race — the arms race
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. squash — the sport
  8. race — humankind
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bank — for money
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. content — the amount
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. race — a contest
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bank — of a river
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bank — for money
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. board — to get on

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