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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.

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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: chip · track · race · fan · bowl · mug · racket · cap

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mug — to rob
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. track — a song
  7. track — to keep track
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cap — a hat
  10. mug — a face
  11. chip — to eat
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. track — a path
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. race — humankind
  22. cap — a lid
  23. race — a contest
  24. racket — for tennis

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