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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — humankind
  3. pop — to visit
  4. charge — in control
  5. rule — a law
  6. pop — soda
  7. charge — electricity
  8. dip — to sink
  9. pop — music
  10. race — a contest
  11. swing — music
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. swing — in golf
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — child
  20. swing — to play on
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. charge — a price
  23. rule — government
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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