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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: track · drill · race · leaves · wake · chip

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. track — a song
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. wake — a trail
  7. drill — a practice
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. race — a contest
  10. track — to keep track
  11. drill — army training
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. chip — for betting
  14. track — a path
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. race — humankind
  17. chip — to eat
  18. drill — the tool

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