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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: chair · pitcher · chip · roll · bass · board · key · race

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — to get on
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. bass — low music
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. roll — a cake
  9. race — a contest
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. board — a committee
  12. key — the most important part
  13. chip — for betting
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. race — the arms race
  16. chair — a leader
  17. key — in music
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. key — for a lock
  20. roll — a list
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bass — the fish
  24. race — humankind

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