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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: fan · board · mate · pit · chair · race · object · date

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — to protest
  3. board — a committee
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. race — the arms race
  7. object — a thing
  8. date — the fruit
  9. pit — in a race
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. mate — to breed
  12. race — humankind
  13. pit — a hole
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. board — to get on
  16. mate — a partner
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. race — a contest
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. chair — a leader
  24. mate — a friend

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