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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: net · rash · race · bear · pit · plane · chip · snap

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — humankind
  4. plane — a tool
  5. pit — a hole
  6. net — for catching
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rash — a series
  11. race — the arms race
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. net — in sport
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bear — the animal
  20. net — after costs
  21. snap — to click
  22. rash — hasty
  23. chip — to eat
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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