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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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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: wound · mug · club · bowl · race · mark · kick · chip

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. mark — a grade
  3. race — a contest
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mug — to rob
  8. chip — to eat
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. club — for golf
  11. kick — in football
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — for betting
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mug — a cup
  16. club — a group
  17. mug — a face
  18. race — humankind
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. kick — a thrill

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