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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  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. rule — a law
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a word
  4. race — the arms race
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. chip — to eat
  7. rush — hurry
  8. charge — a price
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. game — a match
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — wild animals
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. race — a contest
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. root — of a plant
  19. file — a document
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — electricity
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rule — government
  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