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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. race — a contest
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. spell — magic
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. track — to keep track
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. spell — a short time
  14. date — the fruit
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. chip — for betting
  18. track — a path
  19. track — a song
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. spell — letters
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. race — humankind

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