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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. track — a song
  3. rush — hurry
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. rest — what's left
  6. ground — a position
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. chip — for betting
  9. track — a path
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. race — humankind
  13. pass — a permit
  14. rest — a break
  15. chip — to eat
  16. race — a contest
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — the earth
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. track — to keep track
  23. race — the arms race
  24. fan — a supporter

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