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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: staff · saw · cabinet · game · ball · race · dip · board

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  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. game — wild animals
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. staff — employees
  5. board — a committee
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. board — to get on
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. ball — a dance
  11. saw — the tool
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. staff — a stick
  15. saw — the tool
  16. staff — employees
  17. ball — a great time
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. race — humankind
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. dip — to sink
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. race — a contest
  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