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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. season — of the year
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. craft — a skill
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. season — in sport
  8. drill — a practice
  9. chip — to eat
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. kid — child
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. race — a contest
  14. stand — to bear
  15. craft — boats
  16. race — humankind
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. wax — to grow
  19. drill — the tool
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. kid — to tease
  23. drill — army training
  24. race — the arms race

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