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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. cell — in biology
  3. spell — letters
  4. chip — for betting
  5. suit — clothes
  6. spell — magic
  7. ground — crushed
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. race — the arms race
  10. cell — a phone
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. chip — to eat
  14. race — humankind
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. suit — to fit
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. ground — the earth
  20. toast — bread
  21. suit — in cards
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. spell — a short time
  24. race — a contest

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