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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: race · chip · snap · kid · bay · can · racket · foot

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. can — a tin
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. race — humankind
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. kid — child
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. can — to be able to
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. kid — to tease
  22. race — a contest
  23. can — a tin
  24. foot — a measure

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