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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. deal — to handle
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. sharp — clever
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. rule — government
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. race — the arms race
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. race — a contest
  14. stem — to come from
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cue — a signal
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. rule — a law
  21. pound — a weight
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. race — humankind
  24. pound — to hit hard

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