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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. race — a contest
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. race — humankind
  6. cap — a hat
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. mate — to breed
  10. cap — of ice
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. spell — letters
  14. mate — a friend
  15. spell — magic
  16. row — to paddle
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mark — a grade
  19. chip — for betting
  20. mate — a partner
  21. spell — a short time
  22. chip — to eat
  23. race — the arms race
  24. cap — a lid

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