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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. game — wild animals
  3. race — humankind
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. race — the arms race
  6. game — a match
  7. can — a tin
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — of water
  10. file — a tool
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. can — to be able to
  13. file — a document
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. file — a line of people
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. spring — the season
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — in control
  20. foot — a measure
  21. race — a contest
  22. charge — electricity
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. can — a tin

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