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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. chip — for betting
  3. cap — a hat
  4. clip — for paper
  5. degree — temperature
  6. clip — to cut
  7. race — the arms race
  8. root — of a word
  9. clip — a video
  10. cap — of ice
  11. chip — to eat
  12. degree — an amount
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. root — of a plant
  17. firm — steady
  18. race — humankind
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. firm — decided
  21. cap — a lid
  22. degree — from a university
  23. firm — a company
  24. root — the cause

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