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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: chip · pitcher · bore · drill · track · board · race · last

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. chip — for betting
  3. track — a path
  4. bore — to drill
  5. track — a song
  6. drill — a practice
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. track — to keep track
  10. race — a contest
  11. drill — the tool
  12. race — humankind
  13. board — a committee
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. last — finally
  18. bore — to tire
  19. last — to go on
  20. board — to get on
  21. last — final
  22. drill — army training
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. board — a flat piece

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