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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 120 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: race · deal · rash · board · racket · fan · rule · arm

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. board — to get on
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. race — the arms race
  6. deal — to handle
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rule — government
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rash — hasty
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rash — a series
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. rule — a law
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. race — a contest
  20. board — a committee
  21. race — humankind
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. fan — a supporter

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