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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 116 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 · straw · rest · chip · swing · capital · mark · bay

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. rest — what's left
  7. swing — to play on
  8. rest — a break
  9. capital — money
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. swing — in golf
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. mark — a trace
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — a contest
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. swing — music
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rest — what's left
  24. capital — a city

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