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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: rest · race · lean · chip · bark · court · bay · pitch

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. race — a contest
  4. rest — what's left
  5. court — of law
  6. race — humankind
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. lean — to bend
  9. court — for sport
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. chip — to eat
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — completely
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bark — to shout
  16. lean — thin
  17. chip — for betting
  18. race — the arms race
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. court — of a king
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. rest — a break

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