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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. mark — a trace
  3. race — the arms race
  4. deal — to handle
  5. court — of a king
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. race — humankind
  8. court — of law
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. race — a contest
  12. chip — to eat
  13. court — for sport
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. rash — hasty
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. chip — for betting
  20. rash — a series
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. fork — in a road

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