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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: mark · wake · pitcher · chair · court · race · board · drill

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. race — humankind
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. drill — the tool
  5. race — the arms race
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. chair — a leader
  8. race — a contest
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. drill — army training
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. court — of a king
  20. mark — a grade
  21. board — to get on
  22. court — of law
  23. drill — a practice
  24. court — for sport

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