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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 120 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: board · cue · rock · cap · chair · craft · spell · race

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — humankind
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. board — a committee
  6. cap — of ice
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. spell — magic
  9. craft — boats
  10. spell — a short time
  11. race — the arms race
  12. craft — a skill
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. board — to get on
  15. cap — a hat
  16. spell — letters
  17. cue — a hint
  18. chair — a leader
  19. rock — a stone
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. cap — a lid
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. cue — a signal
  24. rock — music

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