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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 120 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: race · file · racket · firm · chip · chair · bowl · cue

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. race — a contest
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. race — the arms race
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. cue — a signal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cue — a hint
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — decided
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. race — humankind
  16. chip — to eat
  17. file — a tool
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. file — a document
  20. firm — a company
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. file — a line of people
  23. chip — for betting
  24. cue — for pool

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