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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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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: race · mark · bowl · bat · face · board · club · mug

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. face — to point toward
  3. race — a contest
  4. face — part of the head
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — for dancing
  8. race — humankind
  9. mug — to rob
  10. face — to confront
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. mug — a face
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. mark — a grade
  20. board — a committee
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — to get on
  24. mug — a cup

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