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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. pit — a hole
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. race — the arms race
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. track — a song
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. spell — magic
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. track — a path
  12. spell — a short time
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. race — humankind
  17. chip — for betting
  18. pit — in a race
  19. fall — the season
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fall — to drop
  22. track — to keep track
  23. chip — to eat
  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