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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. spring — of water
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. root — the cause
  11. chip — to eat
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. spring — a coil
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — a contest
  16. spring — the season
  17. sharp — clever
  18. chip — for betting
  19. deal — to handle
  20. root — of a plant
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. race — the arms race
  24. root — of a word

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