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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. race — humankind
  2. fall — the season
  3. drill — a practice
  4. chip — for betting
  5. scale — size or range
  6. press — a publisher
  7. track — a song
  8. pop — soda
  9. race — a contest
  10. press — to push
  11. drill — army training
  12. fall — to drop
  13. drill — the tool
  14. pop — to visit
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. fall — to drop
  17. track — to keep track
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. press — newspapers
  20. chip — to eat
  21. pop — music
  22. scale — in music
  23. track — a path
  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