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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. race — the arms race
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. foot — a measure
  7. rush — hurry
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. board — to get on
  10. dip — to sink
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. race — humankind
  15. board — a committee
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. race — a contest
  20. kid — to tease
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. chip — for betting
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. rush — to hurry

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