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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 · pitch · race · spell · jam · bank · chip · safe

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. bank — for money
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. race — humankind
  7. spell — letters
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pitch — completely
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. race — a contest
  14. bank — of a river
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bank — for money
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. spell — a short time
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. game — a match
  23. spell — magic
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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