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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. game — a match
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. race — humankind
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. race — the arms race
  8. band — a ring
  9. rule — a law
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. file — a line of people
  12. rule — government
  13. deal — to handle
  14. game — wild animals
  15. file — a document
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. file — a tool
  18. band — a music group
  19. race — a contest
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. foot — a measure
  24. rule — to rule out

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