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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. race — the arms race
  3. net — in sport
  4. chip — for betting
  5. present — the time now
  6. net — after costs
  7. race — a contest
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. net — for catching
  10. present — a gift
  11. spell — magic
  12. bound — certain
  13. bear — the animal
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bound — obliged
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. spell — letters
  19. rest — what's left
  20. race — humankind
  21. bound — tied together
  22. chip — to eat
  23. spell — a short time
  24. present — there

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