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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 116 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: bore · coach · lash · wake · court · race · chip · game

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. race — the arms race
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bore — to tire
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. chip — to eat
  11. wake — a trail
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. court — for sport
  14. game — wild animals
  15. court — of law
  16. bore — to drill
  17. race — a contest
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. court — of a king
  21. game — a match
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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