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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. deal — to handle
  3. scale — size or range
  4. land — to come down
  5. staff — a stick
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. rule — a law
  8. race — humankind
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. rule — government
  12. race — a contest
  13. staff — employees
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — child
  17. scale — in music
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. land — a country
  20. land — ground
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. staff — employees
  24. kid — to tease

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