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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 · toast · tear · spring · race · rash · capital · suit

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. chip — to eat
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. spring — of water
  5. chip — for betting
  6. spring — a coil
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. capital — a city
  9. race — humankind
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. tear — to rip
  13. suit — clothes
  14. toast — bread
  15. tear — from crying
  16. spring — the season
  17. rash — hasty
  18. suit — to fit
  19. race — a contest
  20. rash — a series
  21. capital — money
  22. tear — from crying
  23. suit — in cards
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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