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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. cue — a signal
  3. chair — a leader
  4. race — humankind
  5. object — a thing
  6. land — ground
  7. land — to come down
  8. fall — to drop
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. object — to protest
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — for pool
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. race — a contest
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. object — an aim
  24. fall — the season

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