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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. club — for dancing
  4. rule — government
  5. race — the arms race
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. game — wild animals
  9. race — humankind
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for golf
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rule — a law
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. snap — to click
  19. race — a contest
  20. chip — to eat
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. game — a match
  23. chip — for betting
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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