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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. present — there
  3. race — the arms race
  4. cold — an illness
  5. present — a gift
  6. staff — employees
  7. cold — not warm
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — government
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. staff — a stick
  13. squash — to crush
  14. pop — soda
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. race — humankind
  18. rule — a law
  19. pop — to visit
  20. present — the time now
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. staff — employees
  23. pop — music
  24. race — a contest

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