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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. chip — to eat
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — in football
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mug — a face
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mug — a cup
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. race — humankind
  11. chip — for betting
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. race — a contest
  14. track — a song
  15. spell — magic
  16. track — to keep track
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. spell — a short time
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. mug — to rob
  22. spell — letters
  23. race — the arms race
  24. arm — part of the body

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