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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: chip · race · racket · board · arm · ground · wound · chair

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wound — an injury
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wound — an injury
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. race — the arms race
  10. ground — a position
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. race — humankind
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — the earth
  15. race — a contest
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — for betting
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. board — to get on
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chair — a leader
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. arm — a part of something

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