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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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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: date · tube · fork · sharp · race · board · chair · pass

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. date — the fruit
  5. chair — a leader
  6. board — a committee
  7. pass — a permit
  8. tube — the underground
  9. fork — in a road
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. tube — a container
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. board — to get on
  15. race — the arms race
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. race — a contest
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. race — humankind
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. sharp — clever

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