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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. chip — for betting
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. race — humankind
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. chip — to eat
  9. land — to come down
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rash — hasty
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. race — a contest
  19. land — ground
  20. land — a country
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. season — in sport

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