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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: leaves · chip · row · rash · stand · rest · pitch · race

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. 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. row — a line
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. rest — a break
  5. rash — hasty
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. rest — what's left
  8. chip — to eat
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. rash — a series
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. pitch — completely
  15. chip — for betting
  16. race — humankind
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. race — the arms race
  22. stand — to bear
  23. row — to paddle
  24. 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