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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. race — a contest
  3. current — of water
  4. race — the arms race
  5. spell — letters
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. chip — to eat
  10. mug — to rob
  11. spell — magic
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. race — humankind
  14. spell — a short time
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. current — electric
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. current — happening now
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. mug — a face
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. mug — a cup

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