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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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Word bank
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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: chip · suit · season · pound · race · wound · hide · sharp

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. suit — in cards
  4. season — in sport
  5. sharp — clever
  6. season — of the year
  7. chip — to eat
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. suit — to fit
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. chip — for betting
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pound — a weight
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — humankind
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. suit — clothes

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