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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 116 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: race · cell · dip · chip · sharp · cabinet · spell · pitcher

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. dip — to sink
  4. race — a contest
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. spell — letters
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. spell — a short time
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — for betting
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cell — in biology
  19. sharp — clever
  20. race — humankind
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. spell — magic

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