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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: spell · wake · board · jam · ball · chip · hand · race

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. race — a contest
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. board — a committee
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. chip — for betting
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. race — humankind
  13. spell — letters
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. spell — magic
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. hand — in cards
  20. chip — to eat
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. race — the arms race
  23. ball — a dance
  24. board — to get on

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