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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — a contest
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rule — government
  10. chip — to eat
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. net — in sport
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rule — a law
  18. foot — a measure
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. squash — to crush
  21. net — after costs
  22. race — humankind
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. cabinet — ministers

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