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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. saw — the tool
  4. ground — crushed
  5. race — a contest
  6. ground — the earth
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. mug — a cup
  9. race — humankind
  10. mug — to rob
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. mug — a face
  13. staff — a stick
  14. saw — the tool
  15. chair — a leader
  16. rule — a law
  17. staff — employees
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. race — the arms race
  20. ground — a position
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rule — government
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football final

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