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

Word bank: row · chip · chest · last · race · bay

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chest — of your body
  4. race — the arms race
  5. chest — a box
  6. race — humankind
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. last — to go on
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. last — finally
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. row — a line
  15. last — final
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. race — a contest

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