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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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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  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. chip — for betting
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. race — humankind
  5. chip — to eat
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. race — a contest
  8. kick — in football
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. sharp — with an edge
  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