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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 116 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. ground — the earth
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. ground — a position
  6. game — wild animals
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. race — the arms race
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — soda
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. race — humankind
  16. game — a match
  17. fine — high quality
  18. ground — crushed
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. prune — to trim
  21. chip — for betting
  22. race — a contest
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pop — music

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