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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: season · ruler · race · chip · chair · fine

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — a contest
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. chair — a leader
  5. race — humankind
  6. fine — all right
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. fine — high quality
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chip — for betting
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — of the year

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