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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — humankind
  4. charge — in control
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. club — a group
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. land — ground
  11. charge — electricity
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — to confront
  14. club — for golf
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. land — a country
  17. rule — government
  18. face — part of the head
  19. rule — a law
  20. land — to come down
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. rush — hurry
  23. race — the arms race
  24. charge — a price

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