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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rule — a law
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. ground — crushed
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. ground — a position
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rule — government
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. chip — to eat
  16. race — a contest
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bat — the animal
  19. race — humankind
  20. chip — for betting
  21. race — the arms race
  22. rest — a break
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. ground — the earth

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