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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. race — a contest
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — a law
  5. pop — to visit
  6. chip — for betting
  7. mug — a face
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. saw — the tool
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. press — to push
  13. race — the arms race
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — a publisher
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. mug — a cup
  19. chip — to eat
  20. saw — the tool
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. pop — music
  23. mug — to rob
  24. race — humankind

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