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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  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. chest — of your body
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. race — humankind
  5. chest — a box
  6. chip — to eat
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. chest — of your body
  9. cap — of ice
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. chip — for betting
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. court — of a king
  16. cap — a hat
  17. dip — to sink
  18. race — the arms race
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. cap — a lid
  21. court — of law
  22. deal — to handle
  23. court — for sport
  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