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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: last · race · suit · season · kick · mark · jam · chip

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. race — the arms race
  3. season — of the year
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. suit — to fit
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — finally
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — a grade
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — to eat
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. suit — in cards
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. race — a contest
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. last — final
  23. suit — clothes
  24. race — humankind

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