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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — a contest
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. pit — in a race
  6. chip — for betting
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. chip — to eat
  13. capital — money
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. capital — a city
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rash — hasty
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. pit — a hole
  24. race — the arms race

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