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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. object — an aim
  3. chip — to eat
  4. can — to be able to
  5. object — a thing
  6. present — there
  7. chip — for betting
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — a contest
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. can — a tin
  12. object — to protest
  13. can — a tin
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. race — humankind
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — the time now
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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