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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rule — a law
  3. chip — for betting
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pound — a weight
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. race — a contest
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. rule — government
  14. wind — moving air
  15. race — humankind
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. chip — to eat
  18. race — the arms race

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