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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. race — humankind
  3. deal — to handle
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — for betting
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — the arms race
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. pitch — completely
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. fork — in a road
  23. wake — a trail
  24. fine — all right

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