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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. chip — to eat
  3. race — the arms race
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to click
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. wake — a trail
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. root — of a word
  14. chip — for betting
  15. rash — hasty
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. race — a contest
  18. pit — a hole
  19. rash — a series
  20. root — of a plant
  21. hand — help
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. race — humankind
  24. root — the cause

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