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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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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: suit · bear · racket · chip · march · race

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. march — the month
  4. bear — the animal
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. chip — for betting
  8. suit — clothes
  9. race — a contest
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. suit — in cards
  12. march — the month
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. march — music
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bear — the animal
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — humankind

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