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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: fall · suit · cap · bowl · chip · race · club · snap

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. fall — to drop
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. suit — in cards
  6. fall — the season
  7. cap — a hat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. suit — clothes
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to click
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — a group
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — humankind
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. club — for dancing
  22. fall — to drop
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bowl — a football final

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