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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: bowl · hide · racket · roll · race · board · prune · safe

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. race — a contest
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. prune — to trim
  10. race — humankind
  11. prune — to trim
  12. board — to get on
  13. race — the arms race
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a cake
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. racket — a loud noise

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