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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  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. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. race — humankind
  5. present — a gift
  6. fall — to drop
  7. cue — a hint
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. present — there
  10. race — a contest
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. fall — the season
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bass — the fish
  16. race — the arms race
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bass — low music
  20. fall — to drop
  21. present — the time now
  22. shower — rain
  23. bass — the instrument
  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