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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: rush · racket · object · chip · bass · bat · saw · race

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bass — low music
  3. chip — for betting
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. race — humankind
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. object — to protest
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — to eat
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. race — a contest
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bat — the animal
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bass — the fish
  22. race — the arms race
  23. saw — the tool
  24. object — an aim

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