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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 120 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. spell — a short time
  3. stock — goods
  4. spell — magic
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rule — a law
  7. race — humankind
  8. bass — low music
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. race — the arms race
  12. stock — shares
  13. present — the time now
  14. root — of a word
  15. present — there
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — the fish
  19. chip — for betting
  20. race — a contest
  21. rule — government
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — the cause
  24. spell — letters

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