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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: game · spell · mark · race · foot · fall · chip · pitch

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. game — wild animals
  3. fall — the season
  4. chip — for betting
  5. spell — magic
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. spell — letters
  8. race — the arms race
  9. foot — a measure
  10. mark — a trace
  11. spell — a short time
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. race — a contest
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mark — a grade
  19. chip — to eat
  20. race — humankind
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. fall — to drop
  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