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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: board · race · mine · bore · chair · game · vault · wake

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. board — a committee
  3. game — a match
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. race — humankind
  7. game — wild animals
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. race — the arms race
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. race — a contest
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. wake — a trail
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. mine — for digging
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. board — to get on
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. vault — a safe
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bore — to drill

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