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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. track — a song
  3. race — a contest
  4. squash — to crush
  5. pound — a weight
  6. track — to keep track
  7. chip — to eat
  8. race — the arms race
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. snap — to click
  11. mug — a face
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. chip — for betting
  14. mug — to rob
  15. race — humankind
  16. track — a path
  17. squash — the sport
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. mug — a cup
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. pound — to hit hard

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