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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: race · file · racket · firm · chip · chair

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. race — a contest
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — steady
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. chip — for betting
  7. firm — a company
  8. file — a line of people
  9. race — the arms race
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. race — humankind
  12. file — a document
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. chip — to eat
  16. file — a tool
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. chair — a leader

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