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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. race — the arms race
  5. chip — to eat
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — ground
  11. spell — a short time
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bear — the animal
  16. spell — magic
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. race — humankind
  20. chip — for betting
  21. land — a country
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. spell — letters
  24. race — a contest

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