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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 120 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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. race — humankind
  6. pop — to visit
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. race — a contest
  9. press — a publisher
  10. race — the arms race
  11. pop — music
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — to eat
  14. game — a match
  15. rock — music
  16. game — wild animals
  17. press — newspapers
  18. stand — to bear
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. press — to push
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pop — soda
  24. rock — a stone

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