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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. degree — from a university
  6. chip — for betting
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. pound — a weight
  9. degree — temperature
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. degree — an amount
  12. file — a line of people
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — a contest
  15. rest — what's left
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a tool
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. season — in sport
  21. race — humankind
  22. season — of the year
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. chip — to eat

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