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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. spell — letters
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — in cards
  8. present — there
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — magic
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. present — the time now
  15. suit — to fit
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. race — a contest
  18. present — a gift
  19. race — humankind
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — for sport
  22. race — the arms race
  23. court — of law
  24. chip — to eat

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