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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. file — a line of people
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. file — a document
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. press — a publisher
  11. race — humankind
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. chip — to eat
  14. pop — soda
  15. sharp — clever
  16. race — the arms race
  17. press — to push
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. file — a tool
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. chip — for betting
  22. pop — music
  23. press — newspapers
  24. pop — to visit

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