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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. club — for golf
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. tear — from crying
  5. chip — to eat
  6. race — the arms race
  7. chip — for betting
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. race — humankind
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. club — for dancing
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. club — a group
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. tear — to rip

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