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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: lean · club · mug · chip · race · bank · board · lie

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. chip — for betting
  3. mug — a face
  4. bank — for money
  5. board — to get on
  6. bank — of a river
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. race — the arms race
  10. mug — to rob
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. club — a group
  13. chip — to eat
  14. race — humankind
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bank — for money
  17. mug — a cup
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lean — to bend
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. race — a contest
  22. club — for golf
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. club — for dancing

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