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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. race — the arms race
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. pit — a hole
  8. chip — to eat
  9. key — for a lock
  10. stock — shares
  11. chip — for betting
  12. row — a line
  13. key — the most important part
  14. pit — in a race
  15. snap — to click
  16. key — in music
  17. race — a contest
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. row — to paddle
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. sharp — clever
  24. stock — goods

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