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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. press — to push
  3. chip — for betting
  4. cell — a phone
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. race — a contest
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. band — a music group
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. press — newspapers
  14. pitch — completely
  15. chip — to eat
  16. band — a ring
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. race — the arms race
  20. cell — in biology
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. press — a publisher
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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