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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 116 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: rock · coach · race · squash · nail · racket · chair · chip

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rock — a stone
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — the sport
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — the arms race
  14. squash — to crush
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. race — a contest
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chip — for betting
  19. rock — music
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. chip — to eat
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. racket — for tennis

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