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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 116 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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  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. rule — to rule out
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. race — a contest
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. club — for dancing
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pitch — completely
  10. race — the arms race
  11. drill — a practice
  12. race — humankind
  13. drill — army training
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. rule — a law
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. club — a group
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. club — for golf
  21. sharp — clever
  22. rule — government
  23. chip — for betting
  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