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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: race · cabinet · land · face · track · cap · game · chip

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — humankind
  3. face — to point toward
  4. track — a song
  5. land — a country
  6. land — ground
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. chip — for betting
  10. track — a path
  11. cap — a lid
  12. face — part of the head
  13. game — wild animals
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. track — to keep track
  16. face — to confront
  17. land — to come down
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cap — of ice
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. race — the arms race
  22. chip — to eat
  23. cap — a hat
  24. game — a match

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