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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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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: racket · march · pit · race · board · trunk · mate · chip

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. board — a committee
  5. march — music
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. board — to get on
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — to breed
  10. pit — a hole
  11. race — humankind
  12. mate — a friend
  13. race — a contest
  14. march — the month
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. march — the month
  19. pit — in a race
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. race — the arms race
  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