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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. roll — a cake
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — a contest
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. roll — a list
  7. last — finally
  8. chip — for betting
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. pop — music
  11. race — humankind
  12. drill — a practice
  13. chip — to eat
  14. last — final
  15. last — to go on
  16. pop — to visit
  17. cap — a hat
  18. pop — soda
  19. rush — hurry
  20. cap — of ice
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. cap — a lid
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. drill — the tool

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