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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. mate — a friend
  3. object — to protest
  4. cue — a signal
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. race — a contest
  7. chip — for betting
  8. tear — to rip
  9. cue — a hint
  10. squash — to crush
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rule — a law
  13. mate — to breed
  14. chip — to eat
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. squash — the sport
  17. rule — government
  18. race — humankind
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. tear — from crying
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — an aim
  23. mate — a partner
  24. cue — for pool

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