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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: safe · race · chair · board · wound · drill · mark · racket

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. board — to get on
  3. wound — an injury
  4. drill — a practice
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. drill — army training
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chair — a leader
  10. race — the arms race
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. race — a contest
  17. mark — a grade
  18. race — humankind
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wound — an injury
  23. board — a committee
  24. drill — the tool

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