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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: ball · season · hand · saw · race · board · game · rush

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — a committee
  5. race — humankind
  6. saw — the tool
  7. board — to get on
  8. hand — in cards
  9. race — the arms race
  10. game — a match
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — of the year
  13. hand — help
  14. game — wild animals
  15. season — in sport
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. saw — the tool
  18. ball — a great time
  19. race — a contest
  20. ball — a dance
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. hand — part of the body

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