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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. chip — to eat
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mark — a trace
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — humankind
  12. last — final
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. race — a contest
  16. mark — a grade
  17. perch — the fish
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — finally
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bowl — to roll

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