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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. chip — for betting
  3. band — a music group
  4. chip — to eat
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — for a lock
  8. race — humankind
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. race — a contest
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. race — the arms race
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. band — a ring
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — soda
  18. cell — a phone
  19. pop — music
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. key — in music

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