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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 · chip · content · can · bear · racket · kid · bass

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. race — a contest
  5. chip — to eat
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. can — a tin
  9. kid — to tease
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. kid — child
  12. content — the amount
  13. bass — low music
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. content — happy
  18. chip — for betting
  19. race — humankind
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. can — to be able to
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. race — the arms race
  24. can — a tin

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