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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: dip · spell · chip · bear · plane · field · sharp · race

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bear — the animal
  4. spell — a short time
  5. sharp — clever
  6. race — a contest
  7. field — for sport
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. dip — to sink
  11. field — farmland
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. plane — a tool
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bear — the animal
  17. race — the arms race
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. spell — magic
  21. race — humankind
  22. field — a subject
  23. spell — letters
  24. plane — in geometry

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