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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. pass — a permit
  4. race — humankind
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. ground — the earth
  7. tube — a container
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. ground — a position
  11. deal — to handle
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. kid — to tease
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. chip — for betting
  18. ground — crushed
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. race — a contest
  21. tube — the underground
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. chip — to eat
  24. race — the arms race

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