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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. object — an aim
  3. ground — the earth
  4. chip — to eat
  5. can — a tin
  6. object — to protest
  7. firm — a company
  8. ground — a position
  9. race — a contest
  10. cold — not warm
  11. ground — crushed
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. can — a tin
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — for betting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. race — humankind
  20. object — a thing
  21. race — the arms race
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. can — to be able to

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