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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. pitch — completely
  3. fall — the season
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — for betting
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. firm — decided
  11. race — a contest
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. rush — hurry
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. firm — a company
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. race — the arms race
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. firm — steady
  23. race — humankind
  24. cell — in biology

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