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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. pop — soda
  5. march — music
  6. rule — government
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. chip — to eat
  10. race — the arms race
  11. rule — a law
  12. pop — music
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — in a road
  16. stem — to come from
  17. race — a contest
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. pop — to visit
  22. chip — for betting
  23. race — humankind
  24. stem — a stem cell

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