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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: ruler · board · chest · date · race · chip · stock · fork

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. race — the arms race
  3. stock — shares
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — humankind
  7. chest — a box
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. date — the fruit
  10. chest — of your body
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. board — to get on
  17. stock — goods
  18. chest — of your body
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. chip — for betting
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. chip — to eat

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