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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. game — wild animals
  3. race — humankind
  4. press — newspapers
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. kid — child
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. rule — a law
  10. game — a match
  11. track — to keep track
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. track — a path
  14. prune — to trim
  15. press — a publisher
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. track — a song
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stock — goods
  20. race — the arms race
  21. press — to push
  22. rule — government
  23. stock — shares
  24. kid — to tease

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