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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 120 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. race — a contest
  5. swing — to play on
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bat — the animal
  9. race — humankind
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. rush — hurry
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. chip — to eat
  17. swing — music
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. swing — in golf
  20. stand — to bear
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. chip — for betting
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bat — for baseball

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