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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: net · racket · chip · race · sharp · tube · content · cabinet

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. chip — for betting
  3. sharp — clever
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. race — a contest
  6. content — the amount
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — a container
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. net — for catching
  14. chip — to eat
  15. net — after costs
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. net — in sport
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. race — humankind
  23. content — happy
  24. race — the arms race

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