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

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. race — a contest
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. race — humankind
  6. chest — a box
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. chip — to eat
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bank — of a river
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. chest — of your body
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. race — the arms race
  22. chest — of your body
  23. game — a match
  24. game — wild animals

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