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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.

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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: fork · track · firm · can · chip · race · net · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. race — humankind
  4. firm — a company
  5. chip — to eat
  6. firm — steady
  7. net — for catching
  8. chip — for betting
  9. fork — in a road
  10. race — a contest
  11. net — after costs
  12. firm — decided
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. can — a tin
  15. race — the arms race
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. can — to be able to
  19. track — a path
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a song
  22. squash — the sport
  23. net — in sport
  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