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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. chair — a leader
  3. track — to keep track
  4. race — a contest
  5. track — a path
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. track — a song
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. firm — steady
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. firm — decided
  15. race — the arms race
  16. rule — government
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rule — a law
  19. race — humankind
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mark — a trace
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. mark — a grade

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