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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. race — a contest
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the fish
  8. pit — in a race
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — a container
  14. dip — to sink
  15. race — the arms race
  16. chip — to eat
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. tube — the underground
  20. chip — for betting
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — a hole
  23. race — humankind
  24. dip — a sauce

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