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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. race — a contest
  3. rash — a series
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. can — a tin
  6. track — to keep track
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. can — to be able to
  9. chip — for betting
  10. race — humankind
  11. fine — high quality
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. rush — hurry
  14. wound — an injury
  15. race — the arms race
  16. rash — hasty
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. chip — to eat
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. can — a tin
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. track — a song
  24. fine — all right

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