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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. drill — army training
  3. race — a contest
  4. staff — employees
  5. game — wild animals
  6. staff — employees
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. tear — to rip
  9. chip — for betting
  10. tear — from crying
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — a match
  15. tear — from crying
  16. swing — in golf
  17. staff — a stick
  18. swing — music
  19. chip — to eat
  20. drill — the tool
  21. race — humankind
  22. swing — to play on
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. drill — a practice

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