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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. firm — steady
  3. race — the arms race
  4. spell — letters
  5. firm — a company
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. press — to push
  9. firm — decided
  10. race — a contest
  11. game — wild animals
  12. spell — magic
  13. press — a publisher
  14. spell — a short time
  15. current — of water
  16. game — a match
  17. race — humankind
  18. current — happening now
  19. stand — to bear
  20. file — a document
  21. press — newspapers
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. current — electric

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