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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — humankind
  3. chip — to eat
  4. current — happening now
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. race — the arms race
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — after costs
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pit — in a race
  14. track — to keep track
  15. net — in sport
  16. track — a song
  17. current — electric
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — size or range
  20. kick — in football
  21. track — a path
  22. pit — a hole
  23. current — of water
  24. chip — for betting

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