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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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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bank — of a river
  4. tube — a container
  5. race — humankind
  6. row — to paddle
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bank — for money
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. chip — for betting
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bank — for money
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. row — a line
  22. race — the arms race
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. tube — the underground

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