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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: race · bowl · bound · ball · board · file · squash · ruler

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. file — a line of people
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. file — a tool
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bound — tied together
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. board — a committee
  11. bound — obliged
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. race — a contest
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — to crush
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bound — certain
  21. file — a document
  22. race — humankind
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. race — the arms race

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