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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. wound — an injury
  3. press — to push
  4. wound — an injury
  5. firm — steady
  6. race — the arms race
  7. chip — to eat
  8. court — of a king
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. firm — a company
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. saw — the tool
  15. race — humankind
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. press — a publisher
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. court — for sport
  20. press — newspapers
  21. toast — bread
  22. firm — decided
  23. court — of law
  24. race — a contest

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